British actor Riz Ahmed made history as the first Muslim actor to bag a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars.
38-year-old Ahmed, who also holds the distinction of being the first Muslim and Asian to win a Primetime Emmy in 2017, is now the first actor of Pakistani descent to land an Oscar nomination for his role in Sound of Metal.
If that wasn’t enough, Ahmed’s nomination in the category alongside Minari star Steven Yeun marks the first time two Asian actors are in the running for Best Actor at the Oscars in the same year.
Talking to Deadline later in the day, The Reluctant Fundamentalist actor dedicated his historic feat to anyone who finds themselves inspired and connected with it.
In another interview with The Los Angeles Times, Ahmed said, “Some people may connect to the fact that it’s the first Muslim, some people might say British Pakistani, some people might say the first person from Wembley in London…”
