Pakistani-origin Riz Ahmed has made history when he became the first Muslim to win Oscar’s lead actor award for the short film ‘The Long Goodbye’.
The British-Pakistani origin actor earned the accolade for his role in ‘Sound of Metal’. Ahmed’s win was announced in advance of the Oscars 2022 ceremony, with Short Film (Live Action) being one of several categories to be dropped from the live televised portion of the event.
In his acceptance speech, the 39-year-old said, “In such divided times, we believe that the role of story is to remind us there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. There’s just ‘us’.”
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He went on to say that this is for everyone who feels like they don’t belong. “Anyone who feels like they’re stuck in no man’s land. You’re not alone. We’ll meet you there. That’s where the future is. Peace.”
During his acceptance speech at the 94th Academy Awards, Ahmed talked about the importance of togetherness at the time when Ukrainians are battling a war.
“In such divided times, we believe that the role of story is to remind us there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. There’s just ‘us’. This is for everyone who feels like they don’t belong. Anyone who feels like they’re stuck in no man’s land. You’re not alone. We’ll meet you there. That’s where the future is. Peace,” he said in the speech.
