Riz Ahmed once rapped his way to freedom.
The 35-year-old actor – who is also known for his political rap music – has revealed he managed to escape a precarious situation using his musical talents after being arrested for trespassing onto a military base in Pakistan.
He recalled: "When I told them I was a rapper, they go, ‘Alright, show us what you got.’
"I basically had to rap for my freedom in Karaji to be released by military intelligence. I did it freestyle. There was a good pun in there about dropping bars. Once I rapped for them, they were like, ‘You can go.’"
Riz was born in London but has Pakistani parents, and he’s admitted that, at times, he’s struggled to fit in with either society.
Speaking on ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’, the ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ actor shared: "My heritage is Pakistani, it’s very much part of my culture.
"When I was growing up here I was sometimes made to feel like I wasn’t really British or didn’t really fit in. I went back when I was 15 and I thought, ‘I’m really going to fit in here!’ I went there and I was like, ‘I do not fit in here.’
"It’s because I’m a Londoner. It was more the fact that I was stuck on the toilet for 23 hours a day. It’s hard to make friends from that."
Riz also admitted that his last appearance on the UK chat show in 2016 was a life-changing experience, saying his dad now looks at his career in a totally different light.
He said: "Last time I was here you were like, ‘What does your dad think of your career?’ I told you a little anecdote about how he came up to me after I did my first big American film and he said to me, ‘You know it’s not too late to become a banker.’
"Since I told that story on this show, his attitude has completely changed. It’s not because of my career – it’s because he got a shout out on this show!"
‘The Jonathan Ross Show’ airs on Saturday (22.09.18) at 9.50pm on ITV.
Riz Ahmed rapped his way to freedom
