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[Some spoilers for Venom included below.]
What was it like playing your first supervillain?
But what we did was, we updated it for contemporary context, which is the environmental Armageddon.
Thats actually something thats very grounded and very current.
Your performance could have been a very much mustache-twirling villain.
But instead, hes just a murderous Elon Musk.
He doesntthinkhes evil or crazy but he is most definitely both of those things.
It seemed like you tried to portray him as this guy who thinks hes doing something good.
I guess that no one thinks theyre the bad guy.
And thats true in real life, thats true in any character that you play.
I guess its true in life as in movies.
Then afterwards, I thought actually Mogambo would be a pretty cool name for the song.
The track itself is inspired very much by reality I guess.
At least thats what it was to me when I wrote it.
Would you call it agitprop?
Im not setting out to [say], I want to do a bit of agitprop.
Its very personal for me.
There are women right now who are feeling like their voices arent being heard.
Or there are people who are separated from their families now.
Or theres a Muslim ban thats just come into place.
But for a lot of us, these political conversations are actually just personal conversations.
Just like the stuff that will cross your mind on a day-to-day basis.
This isnt snatched from the headlines.
This is snatched from Dear Diary.
Thelast timeyou and I spoke you said something that stuck with me, All art is political.
I guess I wonder, is playing Carlton Drake inVenoma political statement in some way?
Were living in an age of disaster fatigue.
I think we need to broaden the idea of what politics means.
In terms of Carlton Drake, yeah, hes putting forward quite a nuanced position.
Hes saying, Listen, were all fucked.
What are we gonna do about it?
We have to make some tough choices.
You gonna sit around and moan about it on Twitter?
Or are you willing to give something up?
Hes certainly ready to give up his own agency.
Hes ready to give up his own body for the symbiotes.
Hes leading by example.
Its interesting you say that.
There was a point in my career when I used to sometimes view it like that.
you might do the work, and thats really creatively fulfilling.
Thats exciting in its own way.
Now, we talk about the work we can get into politics.
But I think even that is creating a false dichotomy.
What thats saying is that the work is a safe space.
Its a space where it’s possible for you to escape.
Thats a space where youre not challenged.
I dont want it to be that and I hope it isnt that.
I hope that the work and the performances and stories themselves are spaces where people are challenged.
Where their assumptions are challenged.
Where their world view is challenged.
Its not, Hey, listen.
Its all one thing for me.
But issues of racial identity and politics are clearly important to you.
And career-wise, you find yourself in an interesting moment.
You have two movies in a row withVenomandThe Sisters Brothers, in which your characters are post-racial.
Were all bringing what were bringing to the table.
The specificity that youre bringing to the table can be anything.
That could be Hermann Kermit Warm or it could be Carlton Drake or it could be Nasir Khan.
Im not interested in this idea of post-racial.
I feel like your question suggests that progress is when I never play Pakistani people again.
Or progress is when I never play Muslim people again.
That may not be what youre implying, but I think that might be subconscious in some peoples mind.
I dont agree with that.
Progress is when I can play a whole range of different people.
Im not so much interested in a post-racial world.
Im just interested in one where were not shackled to our race in a way that is restrictive.
Im really happy to play a characters [like] Nasir Khan or play a character called Rizwan Ahmed.
I wasnt trying to imply progress is you never portraying a Pakistani person again.
But by dint of him being a black actor, it just brought so much more to the portrayal.
Im not saying youre just the diversity hire in any of these movies.
I see what youre saying.
I took a point youre making slightly differently.
In terms of that sense, it does feel like progress.
Undeniably, it does feel like progress.
This is a win for my team.
Or a win for another persons team.
Its really, I think, its a win for all of us.
WhenCrazy Rich Asiansdoes really well for example.
WhenBlack Pantherdoes really well.
I think its a win and this idea thatwereall the same ultimately.
Our experiences are universal.
The emotion that we feel is interchangeable.
Its just that we find ourselves in different bodies in different circumstances.
Ive watched that filmPrecious.
Ive realized that I really relate to this character even though my life is nothing like that.
I want to make that clear.
Let me just ask you a couple of quick technicalVenomquestions.
Ive read that youd been on a reality-TV show with Tom Hardy at some point.
Do I have that right?
In episode three, they bring in actors to workshop the writers scenes.
Thats where we met.
It was kind of surreal.
But it was cool to meet him.
We kept in touch.
What was the deal with him doingpush-upsin between scenes?
He was preparing forBronsonat that time.
I think he was pretty focused.
Hed just hit the floor and do 20?
Weve all been there.
Gotta pump up!
There must have been a ton of computer generated imagery required for that scene.
I would imagine doing it in practical reality must have been weird.
What was that like for you?
They almost paint them afterwards.
Theyre informed by our body movement and inspired by our gestures.
One more question and Im gonna let you go.
For one of your next projects, youre portrayingHamlet.
Whats the Riz Ahmed spin on the character?
What can we expect to see from that performance?
You know, Im not sure.
Its still a minute away.
Its still in development.
When developing these projects youre never sure exactly how theyll turn out.
You have a good idea.
To really just put out this idea that it belongs to all of us as our heritage as well.
Thats true for the Marvel Cinematic universe.
Thats also true for Shakespeare.
It doesnt belong in some ivory tower.
These things will only survive with new blood.
Thats what I guess is our job to try and step up and inject it.
*This interview has been edited and condensed.
