Riz Ahmed

I often have to explain what the word bait means to American collaborators because I say it all the time.

Often I'll come up with an idea, you know, a spitball in the writer's room and I'll go, what about this?

Actually, that's too bait.

That's a bit bait.

I don't want it to be as bait as that.

And they go, what do you mean?

And I was like, oh, bait means like too blatant.

It's not subtle enough.

And of course, that's British slang because the most important thing you have to be as a Brit is understated and subtle and, you know, reserved.

And so bait is a kind of derogatory kind of slang term.

First of all, it elevates the story just by the fact that it's Patrick Stewart in this story.

I mean, he's such a hero.

You know, I don't want to say too much about the role he plays because it is very particular and I don't want to give anything away.

I guess I'll just say that working with him showed me

that your, your art can kind of only be as big as your heart is, you know, if that doesn't sound too corny, like he, you kind of have to have a capacity for such receptivity, humility, generosity, um, and empathy in order to kind of be an artist of that stature.

And at that level, it,

you know, just the human, yeah, just, just the kindness, the openness at 84 to step into this story.

I remember having to explain, you know, various kinds of British slang and Urdu swear words to him, you know, and it was nothing but just always engaged, always interested, always, shall we do it again?

Um, yeah, he was, he was just such a pro and such a gentleman.

And, um,