British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed has been exalted his role as Ruben in the Oscar-nominated movie Sound of Metal.

He has been nominated over 60 times for his magnetic yet nuanced performance in the movie, including at the upcoming BAFTAs and the Academy Awards (Oscars); an impressive feat.

However, Ahmed’s cousins didn’t share the same reaction as others regarding his accolades.

Ahmed’s Cousin Was Unaware of the Oscars 

Ahmed is making history and breaking barriers by becoming the first Muslim actor nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars. However, the appreciation of this achievement was not shared by the actor’s cousins. 

On March 23, 2021, Ahmed took to Twitter to share a hilarious interaction with his cousins regarding his Oscars nomination.

The actor claimed his cousin Adnan didn’t know what the Oscars were - he was entirely oblivious to all the hype surrounding his cousin’s nomination.

Regardless of the star’s unimpressed family, the 38-year-old actor has been critically acclaimed. Besides Sound of Metal, he has starred in various other movies — Mogul Mowgli, Venom, Nightcrawler, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, among others. 

All together, Ahmed has garnered 35 wins & 71 nominations at various award functions, including his first nomination for the Academy Awards with his performance in Sound of Metal

Sound Of Metal and Ahmed

Sound of Metal is a movie about a heavy—metal drummer (Riz Ahmed) whose life turns upside down after he starts to lose his hearing. The movie was released after 13 years of struggle,and has been lauded by critics. Altogether, the movie has received 66 wins and 167 nominations, including six nominations at the Oscars.  

Ahmed had worked hard to relate to his reel-figure, Ruben. He spent seven months learning how to use American Sign Language (ASL) with his coach Jeremy Lee Stone and spent time integrating himself into the deaf community. Similarly, he also learned how to play drums in seven months.

It is no wonder that Ahmed has been nominated for the Academy Awards — all the hard work he has put into Ruben can be seen and felt through the screen.