Riz Ahmed Recalls Tesco Ban Following Venom Success
Oscar-nominated actor Riz Ahmed has disclosed a surprising incident where he was banned from a London branch of Tesco after supermarket staff suspected him of shoplifting. The 43-year-old star, who will next appear in the Prime Video comedy series Bait, explained that this awkward event occurred shortly after his role in the 2018 superhero blockbuster Venom alongside Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams.
Security Scanners Trigger Ban at Old Kent Road Branch
Ahmed detailed the experience in an interview with GQ, revealing that he visited the Old Kent Road Tesco to purchase a frozen pizza for his brother's birthday. However, the trip took an unexpected turn when security scanners beeped as he attempted to leave the store. "They thought I was shoplifting," Ahmed stated. "My washing machine was broken, so I had one of those massive laundry bags full of all my laundry, and the only clothes I had were insane – I had [on] this bright green puffer and pink f***ing swim shorts or something."
The actor confirmed that he was subsequently banned from the supermarket. Ironically, this happened while he was receiving congratulatory messages about his success in Venom. "The texts are coming in: 'Bro, you're smashing it,'" he recalled. The Independent has reached out to Tesco for comment on the matter.
Inspiration for New Comedy Series Bait
Ahmed explained that this incident, along with other experiences where public perception clashed with his personal reality, directly inspired his upcoming project Bait. "We're constantly fish out of water," he added. "We're constantly living the lie, when the perception looks a certain way. I thought, Just to make sense of this, I gotta write this stuff."
In Bait, Ahmed portrays struggling actor Shah Latif, whose life is thrown into chaos after the media discovers he has auditioned to become the next James Bond. The series also features Guz Khan, Ritu Arya, and Sheeba Chaddha in supporting roles.
Other Notable Anecdotes from the Interview
During the same GQ conversation, Ahmed shared additional quirky stories from his life. He mentioned accidentally alarming Queen Elizabeth II's security team by attempting to fist-bump the royal. Additionally, he recounted a time when he practiced spoken-word rap to a fellow train passenger, only to later learn that the individual was an immigration enforcement officer.
Ahmed's Distinguished Career Trajectory
Riz Ahmed began his acting career in 2006 with a role in Michael Winterbottom's The Road to Guantanamo. He gained further recognition through appearances in the satire Four Lions and the BBC drama The Fades before achieving a breakout performance in the Bafta-nominated black comedy Nightcrawler.
His career has since flourished with roles in HBO's The Night Of, Netflix's The OA, and the critically acclaimed drama Sound of Metal, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The following year, he won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film for The Long Goodbye, which accompanied his 2020 hip hop album of the same name.
Looking ahead, Ahmed is scheduled to be one of the inaugural hosts on Saturday Night Live UK next month. He will present the show on 4 April alongside musical guest Kasabian, marking another milestone in his versatile entertainment journey.
