- Title: Riz Ahmed on becoming a brown James Bond in new comedy thriller series 'Bait'
- Date: 24th March 2026
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MARCH 24, 2026) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF AHMED TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTOR, RIZ AHMED, ON REPRESENTING MORALLY COMPLEX BROWN CHARACTERS IN “BAIT”, SAYING: “And you know, complexity is the key to things feeling real and feeling honest and messy. I wasn't even thinking, let me make this
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Aasiya Shah Bait Bait London Premiere Bait Prime Video Bait UK premiere Himesh Patel James Bond Ritu Arya Riz Ahmed Riz Ahmed Bait Riz Ahmed James Bond Sheeba Chaddha
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / VARIOUS
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / VARIOUS
- Country: UK
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe,Television
- Reuters ID: LVA005697724032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: British actor Riz Ahmed walked the black carpet rolled out for the UK premiere of his new comedy thriller series “Bait” at London’s Shoreditch Electric on Tuesday (March 24).
With Ahmed doubling as leading man and show creator, the Prime Video original stars the Oscar-winner as Shah Latif, a struggling actor whose life changes overnight after he’s speculated to play the classic British spy James Bond.
The show dabbles in issues like representation and racial tensions as Shah’s journey into becoming the first-ever brown James Bond leads to an existential crisis.
Speaking to Reuters, Ahmed said “Bait” initially evolved as a concept on “how we’re always seeking approval from other people, how that can actually make us lose our way.”
Eventually, “the quest to be James Bond became a symbol of success” for Ahmed’s protagonist. The actor added that after facing some initial discouragement, he approached longtime James Bond producer and franchise co-owner Barbara Broccoli who understood his vision.
While she still remains a co-owner, Broccoli stepped down from overall creative control of the Bond films until 2025, ceding to Amazon MGM Studios.
“Bait” also stars comedian-actor Guz Khan as Ahmed’s on-screen cousin while Indian actor Sheeba Chaddha and Pakistani actor Sajid Hasan feature as his parents.
Comparing the brown representation in “Bait” to his previous comedy series “Man Like Mobeen”, Khan told Reuters: “It's not all dreary. It's not all danger and sadness. We have as much laughter as we do tension, drama, headache. So, to always represent these characters with heart, soul is very important to me.”
The premiere was also attended by cast members Himesh Patel, Ritu Arya and Indian singer Talwiinder who also contributes to the series’ soundtrack.
“Bait” will be released globally on Prime Video on Wednesday (March 25).
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