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Riz Ahmed is on the rise as the new face of British cinema

The first time I meet Riz Ahmed, it's in the lift heading to the basement of London's Covent Garden Hotel.

"Do you spend your life in hotels like this?" he asks. Yes, I say, but only whenever actors are giving interviews. Judging by his work, the 29-year-old doesn't spend much time in boutique hotels either. Under his DJ moniker Riz MC, you're more likely to find him playing grimy venues, while as an actor he's been roughing it ever since his debut film The Road To Guantanamo took him to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.