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  • 3 weeks ago
'Bait' creator and star Riz Ahmed, along with co-star Guz Khan, stopped by the THR Studio at Park City to talk about their new TV series. Ahmed breaks down how long he has been working on the initial ideas for this project while focusing on the "heart" of this show which is how "life can feel like one big audition." Plus, they both reveal if they have been asked a million times who the nex James Bond Should be.

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Transcript
00:00People be asking me to come to weddings, kiss their children on the forehead, it's a strange life, okay?
00:04There's no...
00:05Do you go?
00:05Yeah?
00:06Have you been to a brand new movies?
00:07Yeah, yeah, just...
00:08You've got to pull up, that's fun.
00:10Tell us to see what the food menu is before you go over.
00:11Absolutely, is it halal, is it kosher, these are very important questions.
00:15It is, we're there.
00:15But I think, like, that's the thing.
00:17It's the way people engage with you.
00:19I feel like...
00:20There's a whole different type of celebrity around a world-class actor.
00:25As opposed to a comedian.
00:27A comedian's much more of a touch point.
00:28You want to have a laugh with them.
00:30You want to, hey, can you meet my friend, my girlfriend, my...
00:33Whereas with an actor, still at this...
00:35That is strange, old-school prestige, mystery, yeah.
00:37Who is that person?
00:39And so, you know...
00:40Within the context of the show, the characters that we play...
00:43It's actually very easy to roll in.
00:45And catch the synergy that we caught in the show together, yeah.
00:50Hi, thanks for coming, guys.
00:53Yeah, Riz, is this the...
00:55This is the project that you've been working on for a decade, right?
00:57I know that when you came in to...
01:00God, was at the TIFF studio, you were talking about how long you've...
01:05Like, your passion projects, is this...
01:06These things take a long time, don't they?
01:09It's crazy, what are we doing?
01:10Yeah, so, I mean, I first kind of started scribbling little notes and stories...
01:15And anecdotes down into a little pad, yeah, about 10 years...
01:20Ago for this project, but it only really fully started coming together...
01:25You know, over the last several years, you know...
01:27I started working with my producing partner, Ali Moore...
01:30And then putting it to Amazon, and then Ben Carlin came in as a showrunner...
01:35And, you know, takes a village, so we got there in the end.
01:39Were you, when you were...
01:40Dribbling down your notes and ideas, was that because you were experiencing things in the business?
01:45And you were writing...
01:46It was, I was experiencing things in life, and because my life, part of it takes place...
01:50In the business, there's elements of that in the show...
01:52But I think the thing I was experiencing is something that...
01:55Most people can relate to, and that is the distance between your public and private self...
02:00You know, someone once told me that that distance is how much shame you carry...
02:05Well...
02:06It's a deep quote, right?
02:07Yeah...
02:08Right?
02:09It's like...
02:10How vulnerable are you willing to be to drop the mask and show people who you are?
02:15When no one's watching.
02:16And, of course, as performers, here we are, you know...
02:20Um...
02:23Pretending to be...
02:24I mean, none of these are my clothes...
02:25For example...
02:26Um...
02:27These are his clothes...
02:28He doesn't even have that excuse...
02:29He doesn't even have that excuse...
02:30As to why he's dressed like this...
02:31Incredible...
02:32Bizarre...
02:33And, uh...
02:35So, there's a kind of like...
02:36There's this distance between who we are in public and who we are in private...
02:40That I...
02:41I kind of...
02:42Can speak to my experience...
02:43But we all have that...
02:44With our online life...
02:45We all have that...
02:46In terms of...
02:47The person we wish we were...
02:48Or how we want to be seen...
02:50This is the actual mess that we are...
02:52That's how life can feel sometimes...
02:53So, it was...
02:54It was really about...
02:55That...
02:56And that's what the show is about...
02:57If you guys could...
02:58Measure...
02:59The gap...
03:00The chasm between your...
03:00Part...
03:01Private and public selves...
03:02Over the years...
03:03Is it getting bigger...
03:04Smaller...
03:05This is this much...
03:06Yeah...
03:07This is the distance...
03:08This is who I am in public...
03:09This is who I am in private...
03:10He's like...
03:11He's like the voice inside my head...
03:12I want no one to hear...
03:13Exactly...
03:14You see...
03:15It's an interesting thing...
03:15In the guise of being a stand-up comedian...
03:17Which is what I do...
03:18We can...
03:19Kind of...
03:20Be authentically...
03:21Very much more so ourselves...
03:22And I think...
03:23In terms of...
03:24When you look at...
03:25His characters...
03:26They share a lot...
03:27In common...
03:28In terms of his journey...
03:29Of...
03:30As he mentioned...
03:30The code switching...
03:31The change of cultures...
03:32Like wanting to progress...
03:33In his career...
03:34That he's shown...
03:35He doesn't...
03:36For myself...
03:37Like...
03:38We're judged on authenticity...
03:39When you walk out...
03:40On stage...
03:41In front of...
03:42Thousands of people...
03:43They want to know...
03:44That they're with you...
03:45Guz Khan...
03:46In the moment...
03:45So...
03:46It actually reflects...
03:47Really well in my character...
03:48In the show...
03:49And I think...
03:50It's really interesting...
03:50Because we're playing...
03:51Versions of ourselves...
03:52In this show...
03:53And I think...
03:54That's what makes it authentic...
03:55This one...
03:55It wasn't just a role...
03:56That you come to and play...
03:57You were being asked...
03:58To bring yourself...
03:59To the role as well...
04:00Yeah I think so...
04:00That's interesting...
04:01Was it always...
04:02Bond...
04:03In so far as...
04:04Your character...
04:05The audition...
04:06Did you always know...
04:07It was going to be for Bond...
04:08Or were you kind of...
04:09Kicking around to...
04:10Different franchises...
04:11You know...
04:12The audition thing...
04:13Kind of came later...
04:14It was...
04:15You know...
04:15In a way...
04:16The Bond thing...
04:17Isn't as important...
04:18As the audition...
04:19You know...
04:20Really inside...
04:20Like...
04:21The most relatable part...
04:22Of this show...
04:23And the heart of the show...
04:24Is about how life...
04:25Can sometimes feel...
04:26Like one big...
04:25Of audition...
04:26Right...
04:27You're always trying...
04:28To prove yourself...
04:29To people you do know...
04:30And people you don't...
04:30Always trying to be...
04:31The person you think...
04:32You should be...
04:33The person you think...
04:34People want you to be...
04:35That's kind of the heart of it...
04:37The Bond symbol became...
04:38It was a kind of symbol really...
04:40The Bond role is like...
04:41A symbol of everything...
04:42That he wants to be...
04:43This alpha male...
04:44Decisive...
04:45Desirable...
04:45The peak of...
04:46Cinematic achievement...
04:47And all of that kind of stuff...
04:49Um...
04:50But...
04:51In a way...
04:52Um...
04:53More important than that role...
04:54Is the process...
04:55Of auditioning itself...
04:56And how we all feel...
04:57Like we're doing it the whole time...
04:58It is sort of funny...
04:59It feels like we...
05:00We've been discussing...
05:01Like who the next Bond is gonna be...
05:02As long as I've been alive...
05:03Like I don't remember a time...
05:05Really?
05:06Where it wasn't...
05:07It's just become...
05:08It's just lasting forever...
05:09This kind of...
05:10And people maybe get more mileage...
05:12Out of...
05:13The rumors...
05:14Than they do about like...
05:15When someone...
05:15Can I ask you a question?
05:16Yeah.
05:17Who would your top three Bond's be?
05:18You don't have to include him...
05:19Don't...
05:20Don't worry about...
05:21Upcoming?
05:22I was gonna ask you guys...
05:23Who your favorite...
05:24Existing Bond's were...
05:25I kind of feel like...
05:26We should...
05:27Maybe...
05:28Call it...
05:29And...
05:30We've done Bond...
05:31And we're good there...
05:32But...
05:33Oh...
05:34You killed...
05:35You just killed him...
05:36You're a stupid man...
05:37I know...
05:38He gets to retire...
05:39Wow...
05:40And rest...
05:41So you're more...
05:42Yeah...
05:43You're...
05:44Villainous...
05:45Villainous...
05:45You're responsible...
05:46I suppose so...
05:47You just killed him...
05:48Have you been asked a million times...
05:49Who you think the next Bond should be?
05:50Massively...
05:51I mean...
05:52It's...
05:53It's...
05:54Uh...
05:55Because I think they know that the answer is that I want it to be...
05:59Me...
06:00And Guz...
06:01As a double act...
06:02I think that's one thing we haven't tried...
06:03Who would...
06:04Who would do what?
06:05Like how are you...
06:05I'd drive all of the fast cars...
06:07Hang around with all the incredibly beautiful women...
06:09Yeah...
06:10And then you can go and risk your life mate...
06:11Crack on...
06:12You...
06:13You crack on...
06:14That's how we script this...
06:15Manual labour...
06:16Let's face it...
06:17He'll be doing the heavy lifting...
06:18I'll be doing the suave kind of...
06:20Cool thing...
06:21But you know what's interesting...
06:22Uh...
06:23Idris...
06:24He's not going undercover in those shoes...
06:25Is he?
06:26Let's face it...
06:27He's not gonna...
06:28He's not gonna blend in...
06:29He's a distraction...
06:30You need someone to decoy...
06:31Very important...
06:32In the world of espionage...
06:33But no...
06:34Idris Elba's name has been thrown into it...
06:35So many times...
06:36And if you ask me personally...
06:37I think Idris Elba's too cool...
06:40For the role...
06:41I think he's an incredible performer...
06:42He's Idris in his own right...
06:43So why do...
06:44Like you said...
06:45Why do you need Bond...
06:47To be attached to a name like his...
06:49He has his own...
06:50He's brilliant in his own way...
06:51You know...
06:52So yeah...
06:53I mean you killed Bond...
06:54Not me...
06:55That was you...
06:56What's the...
06:55Craziest stunt...
06:56You've done...
06:57Like...
06:58Do you have...
06:59Crazy stunt...
07:00Yeah...
07:01Do you have that in your resume?
07:02Yeah...
07:03The craziest stunt...
07:04I've done...
07:05Guys...
07:05You've got anything up your sleeve...
07:06I've got...
07:07I've got an incredible one...
07:08I was asked to recreate a stunt from Home Alone...
07:10And...
07:11And...
07:12It's where he walks through a door...
07:14And there's a blowtorch...
07:15That burns the top...
07:16Do you remember that?
07:17The Joe Pesci moment...
07:18Yeah...
07:19The Joe Pesci moment...
07:20Wow...
07:20James Acaster recreating this moment...
07:21Everyone's excited...
07:22Like...
07:23Yeah...
07:24This is like...
07:251400 degrees...
07:25The Fahrenheit blowtorch...
07:26Because it's really safe...
07:27And I'm like...
07:28You sure it's safe?
07:29He said...
07:30It's really safe...
07:31Did the...
07:30Did the stunt once...
07:31Was safe...
07:32Did the stunt again...
07:33Kinda safe...
07:34Director said...
07:35Can we do it for a third time?
07:37And I said...
07:38Probably not...
07:39Doesn't really feel safe anymore...
07:40Or did it...
07:41Lost half of my eyebrow...
07:43And eyelashes...
07:44So that's kind of...
07:45The most...
07:46Scary stunt...
07:47That I've ever done...
07:48Well they grew back...
07:49Is that painting...
07:50What are you doing?
07:51This eyebrow...
07:52Which one was it?
07:53Yeah...
07:54I went to Turkey...
07:55Got a transplant...
07:56Amazing work...
07:55They could do these days...
07:56Over there...
07:57What did you buy yourselves...
07:58With your first...
07:59Like...
08:00Paycheck...
08:01Business...
08:02Like the first job...
08:03I'm gonna treat myself...
08:05What'd you get?
08:06It wasn't for me...
08:07I bought a...
08:08Recar...
08:09A bright orange...
08:10Recar...
08:10Incaro...
08:11Car seat...
08:12For Safiya Khan...
08:13Who's my first baby...
08:14So my...
08:15Daughter...
08:16She didn't even need it...
08:17And she didn't really fit in it...
08:18But I thought it looked really cool...
08:19So...
08:20You bought a raising...
08:20Racing car baby seat...
08:21That's right...
08:22That's right...
08:23Bad man...
08:24I still have it...
08:25I do...
08:26Yeah...
08:25I said...
08:26Wow...
08:27I...
08:28Still haven't spent that money...
08:29I'm a saver...
08:30I'm a nerd...
08:31I don't spend money...
08:32Shrewd...
08:33He's a shrewd boy...
08:34He's a shrewd boy...
08:35Collect the pennies...
08:36You're gonna get the last laugh though...
08:37When we all...
08:38Thank you...
08:39Go broke...
08:40What...
08:41What...
08:42What...
08:43Is...
08:44A note...
08:45You never wanna hear...
08:45Like...
08:46On set...
08:47On set...
08:48You know what...
08:49Something I find annoying...
08:50Sometimes when people come up to you and go...
08:53You know...
08:54You know how...
08:55You did that scene in that other film you did...
08:57It's like...
08:58What are you doing?
08:59I'm not thinking about that...
09:00Right now...
09:01I mean...
09:02I barely watched the thing that I did anyway in the first place...
09:04Um...
09:05And it...
09:05Just very much like...
09:06Takes you out...
09:07Of the...
09:08Thing...
09:09Um...
09:10Oh...
09:11Another thing I've had a lot is...
09:12Stop blinking...
09:13Yeah...
09:14You blink a lot...
09:15Yeah...
09:16You get blinking...
09:17Yeah...
09:18But wait a minute...
09:19Now I'm holding it...
09:20Now you're...
09:21Now if I hold it for this long...
09:20When I carry on this conversation...
09:21Here we are just talking...
09:22Does it feel weird that I haven't blinked?
09:24Yeah...
09:25That I haven't blinked?
09:25It feels weird right?
09:26It feels weird...
09:27And my eyes are completely misted over...
09:28So what I do with this director...
09:29I...
09:30If I carry on talking like this right now...
09:31I can't see you anymore...
09:32You're just like mush and colours...
09:34And then...
09:35Do the whole thing like this...
09:36Everything...
09:37Is that...
09:38Yeah...
09:39Okay...
09:40So...
09:41It's very...
09:40Yeah...
09:41But I got that note...
09:42I weirdly took it...
09:43You've been listening to directors too much...
09:44I...
09:45My...
09:45My worst note...
09:46By far...
09:47And it's on almost every project that I do...
09:50Shut up...
09:51Yeah...
09:52Or someone taps me on the shoulder...
09:53And says...
09:54Excuse me...
09:55Can you...
09:55Do the words...
09:56On the page this time...
09:58Please...
09:59Hate that note...
10:00Hate...
10:00Hate that...
10:01No...
10:02Hate that...
10:03Excuse me...
10:04Can you do these words in sequence guys?
10:05No I can't...
10:06No I can't...
10:07No I can't...
10:08I said it how I said it...
10:09Good night...
10:10Cut...
10:11I've been sacked from a lot of jobs...
10:13Question...
10:14Do you have any...
10:15Inns or outs?
10:16I think out with just social media...
10:18It's too much...
10:20I think we've all played that...
10:22Video game...
10:23Doesn't end...
10:24I'll just...
10:25One up it mate...
10:26I'll say...
10:27Just out with the internet...
10:28You really need it...
10:30People used to...
10:31Right...
10:32Well...
10:33Listen I'm sorry...
10:34Because it is your career...
10:35Especially if no one sees this...
10:36Yeah...
10:37And it's just for us...
10:38Just us in the moment...
10:39That's what we love...
10:40This...
10:41Guys...
10:42Wouldn't that be special?
10:43Probably not special...
10:44But you know what I mean...
10:45Like...
10:46These tapes...
10:45Delete these tapes...
10:46This is just...
10:47This was just for us...
10:48Tonight...
10:50The video is going to be set...
10:52Just during the vid...
10:53Here...
10:54I guess we've played by...
10:55The video has been called...
10:56The beach...
10:57The beach lives...
10:58The beach...
10:59Below...
11:00The beach...
11:01It's just like some of its than...
11:02Which is a...
11:03You know...
11:04Which is...
11:05Here...
11:06That's a point...
11:07Since we've mejored all...
11:08This...
11:09... space...
11:10The beach...
11:11I hear...
11:12...
11:12This is...
11:13Surely...
11:14its center...
11:15...
11:17This is the beach...
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