Riz Ahmed said he struggled with “imposter syndrome” and for a long time felt he didn’t belong in the film industry.
The British-Pakistani actor and rapper, who appeared in Star Wars film Rogue One and picked up an Emmy for his role in The Night Of, said: “You start to internalise this messaging that maybe you don’t belong, maybe this isn’t for you, maybe you should have a side hustle, you know? It takes a long time to push against that.”
Appearing in the second season of Belstaff’s The Road Less Travelled podcast, Ahmed said he had tackled the feeling by accepting his success was important for promoting diversity.
“We all, as artists, we’re sensitive, we all have imposter syndrome,” he said. “Sometimes we lack self-belief. In those moments it’s really useful to believe in something other than and bigger than yourself.”
The 37-year-old, who recently released his album The Last Goodbye, added: “We haven’t fixed [issues of inclusivity] but we’re able to talk about them so you feel less alone in this feeling… you’re feeling bold in saying, ‘Actually, no, I do belong here and I’m gonna jump in’.”
He said he felt like his career would help other ethnic-minority stars. “You yourself will also be a stepping stone for the next generation to outdo and surpass you, particularly if your career’s based around pushing forwards a voice of people that may not have had one, to increase the visibility of those who haven’t been visible in the past.”
Released every week, Belstaff is available via Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
