# Riz Ahmed takes on his inner critic

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/fresh-air-214340/riz-ahmed-takes-on-his-inner-critic
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/fresh-air-214340/riz-ahmed-takes-on-his-inner-critic.md
Podcast: [Fresh Air](https://stenobird.com/podcast/fresh-air-214340)
Published: 2026-08-27T17:38:56+00:00
Episode link: https://www.npr.org/2026/08/27/nx-s1-5946458/riz-ahmed-takes-on-his-inner-critic
Audio file: https://prfx.byspotify.com/e/play.podtrac.com/npr-381444908/npr.simplecastaudio.com/49850946-31c1-4953-8129-0d718420c400/episodes/0397af7b-cf8a-49cc-b52a-85725e0061f2/audio/128/default.mp3?awCollectionId=49850946-31c1-4953-8129-0d718420c400&awEpisodeId=0397af7b-cf8a-49cc-b52a-85725e0061f2&feed=jBsBZBHh&t=podcast&e=nx-s1-5946458&p=381444908&d=2724&size=43595320
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/fresh-air-214340/episodes/riz-ahmed-takes-on-his-inner-critic
Duration seconds: 2724

## Resource

In his Prime Video series, Bait , Riz Ahmed plays an actor auditioning to be the next James Bond. Ahmed says Bond is a "symbol of aspiration, this unattainable kind of self" his character is pursuing. He’s nominated for an Emmy for his role in the series. Ahmed spoke with Tonya Mosley about being his own worst critic, why he connected to Hamlet, and his early days as an MC on pirate radio. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our YouTube channel Check out the Fresh Air Archives See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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## Transcript

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