A new and radical take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet is out in US cinemas. The force behind it is actor, writer, producer and musician Riz Ahmed. He says the 400-year-old story has never felt more current. Ahmed, Oscar-nominated for Sound of Metal and star of the Oscar-winning live-action short The Long Goodbye, has a new series on Prime Video called Bait. It’s a black comedy about an actor on the cusp of a life-changing role as James Bond. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Ahmed talks about creativity and politics, discusses his upcoming movie with Tom Cruise and how becoming a father affected his acting. 00:00 Introduction from Mishal Husain 02:39 Hamlet “never goes out of fashion" 03:49 “The old order is falling apart” 05:14 “Is it the world that’s gone crazy or is it me?” 05:44 The dream of playing Hamlet 10:04 To be, or not to be is “misunderstood” 14:20 “It's authentic. I'm not acting” 16:20 Bait “it’s a very personal show” 18:20 Why Barbara Broccoli said yes to using Bond 20:21 Looking for acceptance 23:00 “Culture works in cycles” 24:37 Acting was an extension of real life 28:28 “I don’t like being pinned down” 28:55 SNL UK 30:15 Working with Tom Cruise 32:25 “My weekends are really simple” Read this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net Visit https://www.bloomberg.com/mishal Subscribe to Bloomberg Podcasts: https://bit.ly/BloombergPodcasts Visit us: https://www.bloomberg.com/podcasts For coverage on news, markets and more: http://www.bloomberg.com/video