Riz Ahmed: “I Don’t Know If One Person’s Win Changes The Systemic Issue Of Inclusion”
The Night Of actor noted the slow progress made on a historic Emmys night.
Thumbnail image via: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty.
Riz Ahmed had a big night at the Emmys on Sunday, taking home the award for Outstanding Lead Actor prize for The Night Of. His win was the first time an actor of Asian heritage has picked up an Emmy for acting, and the subject of inclusion and representation was put to the London-born star at a press conference held after the ceremony.
Ahmed said that he does not think his success, nor any one win or ceremony, changes the "systemic issue of inclusion." He is hopeful, however, that more instances of minority actors winning awards will speed up the process.
"I don't know if any one person's win, or one person snagging a role, or one person doing very well, changes something that's a systemic issue of inclusion," he said. "I think that's something that happens slowly over time. If there's enough isolated examples of success over time then the dots start joining up and it is not as slow a process as it sometimes is."
Check out Ahmed's speech above. Elsewhere at the 2017 Emmys, Donald Glover became the first black man to win a comedy director prize while Master Of None star Lena Waithe was the first black woman to win for writing in a comedy series.