Rogue One Star Joins Sci-Fi Love Story
Riz Ahmed of Rogue One fame has been cast in the science fiction love story Fingernails.
In the grand scheme of movie traditions, it seems that the science fiction genre has been climbing the charts as the go-to category for moviegoers in recent years. Helped along the way by the success of the Star Wars series of films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the genre has seen an uptick in interest from audiences looking to escape the reality of their daily lives. Now, it appears that a well-known actor, Riz Ahmed, has joined the growing cast of a new science fiction love story entitled Fingernails, which had a bidding war at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
According to a report by Deadline, British actor Riz Ahmed will costar in Fingernails for Greek director Christos Nikou, which will be an Apple Original Films production. Ahmed joins the cast that already includes familiar faces like The Bear star Jeremy Allen White and Fargo actor Jessie Buckley. The mysterious science fiction film will concern a woman named Anna (played by Buckley) who believes that her longtime boyfriend may not be who he says he is, so she takes on a new assignment at an institute in order to test the romantic love between Anna and her boyfriend.
Riz Ahmed has seen his star rise in recent years due in large part to his association with the Star Wars franchise by appearing in the standalone feature film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, alongside Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, and Mads Mikkelsen. Ahmed got his acting start working in more independent leaning films like Four Lions and The Reluctant Fundamentalist before his breakout role as Rick in the 2014 Jake Gyllenhaal film Nightcrawler. Since then, he has appeared in numerous blockbuster parts for established directors like Paul Greengrass’ Jason Bourne, Ruben Fleischer’s Sony’s Spider-Man Universe hit Venom, and the supernatural Netflix series The OA.
But for Riz Ahmed, starring in some high-profile projects hasn’t seemed enough for his career, as the actor has built a legacy of accolades in his short time in the international spotlight. As Nasir Khan in the HBO miniseries The Night Of, Ahmed won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, the first of many awards he would earn for that performance. He was later nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a metal drummer who loses his hearing in the drama Sound of Metal, losing to Anthony Hopkins for The Father.
Seemingly unsatisfied with his acting roles, Riz Ahmed has parlayed his success in movies and television into a career in music. He has put out numerous singles and two albums as a rapper, leading Ahmed to produce and star in a short film entitled The Long Goodbye in 2021, where he plays a version of himself rapping to the camera to highlight an exaggerated version of the abuse minorities have encountered in the wake of Brexit in his native country. Riz Ahmed won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for his role as a producer on The Long Goodbye.
