Riz Ahmed, the rapper and actor, revealed that he was hospitalised during the filming of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story due to a severe health crisis. He described this period as one marked by profound grief and exhaustion that left his body giving out on him.
Riz Ahmed’s Struggle with Intense Illness During Filming
Ahmed opened up about the grueling health challenges he faced while working on major projects. He explained that the difficult experience coincided with his involvement in Sound of Metal and involved managing intense grief and acceptance at the same time.
Around the time of taking on Sound of Metal, I had had a very intense kind of health-related experience myself, where I had to grapple with the grief but also the acceptance around that,
he shared in an interview on Penn Badgley’s Podcrushed podcast.
The condition escalated to the point that Ahmed required hospitalisation to recover. The actor described the process as rebuilding his strength from scratch, highlighting how frightening and prolonged the ordeal was.
I had to really try to recreate my strength. It was like building myself up from scratch. It was super scary and intense and quite prolonged, actually,
Ahmed added.
The Emotional and Physical Impact of His Health Crisis
He revealed that the health issues were accompanied by a complex range of emotions, from fear to gratitude, as he questioned whether he would regain control over his life. Ahmed described a mixture of terror and liberation during this time.
Something very silent and very intense had happened to me, and I wasn’t getting better quickly. For a minute, I was like, ‘Am I ever going to get my life back?’
Deep kind of grief and fear and terror and yet, also a kind of tremendous liberation and gratitude and acceptance,
he explained.
Realization and Acceptance amid Vulnerability
Despite the severity of his condition, Ahmed found a profound sense of peace and gratitude in recognizing the limits of his control, including over his own body. He emphasized how this humbling experience deepened his appreciation for life’s uncertainties.
You don’t control a single thing. You don’t even control your body. In the most strange way, I never felt more grateful, more at peace, more content than when I felt like I was going to lose my whole life,
Ahmed stated.
How the Experience Guided His Career Choices
This period of vulnerability coincided with Ahmed reading the script for Sound of Metal, which he immediately connected with on a personal level. He felt compelled to take on the role because the story resonated with his own recent struggles.
When I read the script, I was like, ‘I know what this is, you know, and I need to tell this story,
he emphasized.
Ahmed’s candid reflections reveal how deeply personal hardships can shape an artist’s choices and perspectives, affecting not only their health but also their creative journeys.
