Entertainment
Riz Ahmed recalls his “worst audition” ever, real-life meet cute with wife and more
Oscar winner Riz Ahmed’s family always knew he was destined for stardom, with his mother enrolling him in speech and drama lessons by the ripe age of 8. The British actor jokes that it all started with his impressions of Prince Charles — now King Charles III.
“You’re not gonna ask me to do it now. He’s not the prince; he’s the King,” laughed Ahmed in an interview with CBS News. “Taking a step back, I think that on some level, I was always acting. … From a young age, I was code switching. So I think that was something that was kind of confusing at times as a kid. But you look back and I realize it forced me to develop these muscles.”
Ahmed loves to flex his acting muscles, which he in part developed at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. But his road to success wasn’t always smooth.
“Worst audition in my life”
His audition for Danny Boyle’s 2008 film “Slumdog Millionaire” is one that often comes to mind. He auditioned for the lead as well as the role of the volatile older brother.
“That was probably the worst audition in my life,” he recalled.
“I can’t remember exactly what happened in the audition. But I remember it ended with me … holding Danny Boyle up against the wall. And I’d ripped his shirt open. And a couple of the buttons popped off. And he goes, ‘All right, thanks a lot, Riz. Thanks for coming in. Appreciate that.’ I didn’t get the role for some reason,” Ahmed added, jokingly.
His breakout came in 2014 in the film “Nightcrawler.” Three years later, he earned an Emmy playing the suspect in the HBO crime drama “The Night Of.”
In 2021 he scored his first Oscar nomination playing a drummer who loses hearing in “Sound of Metal.” And a year later, Ahmed, who is also a rapper, won an Academy Award for “The Long Goodbye,” a short film based on his own album.
Cafe meet cute
While he was preparing for his role as Ruben Stone in “Sound of Metal,” he met his wife, New York Times bestselling novelist Fatima Farheen Mirza, in a Brooklyn cafe.
“I was writing a script. I was actually working on the thing that I’m editing now,” Ahmed said. “She sat down opposite and started emptying her whole bag out because she’d lost her charger. You know, I just spotted an opening. ‘Can I help you?'”
The couple got married in 2020 and they’re now parents — a rewarding role Ahmed says has changed him as an artist.
“You know, at this point, anything that I do – as an artist – is facilitated by the support of my wife. So, it’s definitely kind of made me realize the extent to which the people closest to you are actually the co-authors of your work,” said Ahmed, adding that being a father has brought him more gratitude and humility.
While Ahmed was working on his upcoming Amazon comedy “Quarter Life,” the script he was writing in that cafe, his wife helped out in the writer’s room.
“She brought such insight and emotion and, you know, just brilliant ideas to the table,” Ahmed said. “My wife asking me to advise on her novels – maybe not as good an idea.”
New summer thriller
Now Ahmed is gearing up for the release of his new summer thriller, “Relay,” taking on the role as Ash alongside his costar Lily James. Ash brokers payoffs between whistleblowers and corrupt corporations, communicating only through a phone-to-text relay system.
“My character is someone who you call when you’re in trouble, when there’s no one else you can call,” Ahmed said. “I think his superpower is also his biggest weakness. He’s a loner. He lives off the grid.”
“The thing about ‘Relay’ that excites me is it’s similar to the kind of classic films that I loved to watch,” he added. “You know, stuff like ‘Michael Clayton,’ ‘The Conversation.’ These thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat.”
“Relay,” from director David Mackenzie, is out now in movie theaters.
Entertainment
King Charles’ wardrobe reveals obsession with bespoke suits
King Charles is celebrated for his environmental advocacy and decades of public service, but behind palace doors, a far more traditional lifestyle is said to unfold.
According to royal author Tina Brown in her book The Palace Papers, the King has long drawn comparisons to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
Brown suggests that Charles didn’t just admire her style, he embraced it.
From maintaining multiple residences to upholding a distinctly old-world approach to household management, insiders have described a lifestyle that leans into tradition with precision.
The King is believed to favour bespoke tailoring on a significant scale, with dozens of handmade suits, carefully crafted shirts, and a substantial collection of shoes from historic British makers.
Footwear, in particular, is said to be maintained with near-military discipline, reflecting a longstanding royal emphasis on presentation.
Inside royal residences, the same level of care is said to apply.
Past accounts describe highly specific expectations for staff from the exact placement of everyday items to the readiness of rooms at any given moment.
Some of these traditions echo habits once associated with the Queen Mother herself, who was known for her exacting standards, from how fireplaces were prepared to how rooms were arranged before bedtime.
During earlier years, when Queen Camilla still smoked, staff were said to prepare rooms in advance with neatly arranged accessories, ensuring everything was positioned just so.
Entertainment
start time, schedule, route—here’s your complete guide
Boston Marathon Monday morning is buzzing with the sunrise at Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
It’s a day of celebration, road closures, and a dazzling race as it hits the milestone of 130 years.
From weather forecast to start time, schedule, and route map, we have got you covered.
The 2026 Boston Marathon is expected to draw over 30,000 athletes from almost 130 countries, with entrants from all 50 states of America, per Boston Athletic Association.
The Boston Marathon is a hard nut to crack, and it just keeps getting tougher with each passing year.
According to the BMA, “This year’s cut-off time needed to gain acceptance into the Boston Marathon was four minutes, thirty-four seconds or faster (4:34) than the qualifying time for each respective age group and gender.”
Where does the Boston Marathon go?
The Boston Marathon kicks off on Main Street in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
Athletes will then follow Route 135 through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, and Wellesley to where Route 135 turns toward Route 16.
The course follows along Route 16 until the fire station at Commonwealth Avenue, a point where runners will take a turn on the right and begin the stretch of Newton Hills.
After Heartbreak Hill from mile 20 to 21, runners will head across the Chestnut Hill Reservoir before turning left onto Beacon Street
From there, runners will have approximately four miles to the finish line.
They will continue through Brookline, Kenmore Square, and under Massachusetts Avenue.
Finally, the iconic turns await at the finish: right onto Hereford Street and left onto Boylston Street for the final sprint.
The Marathon finish line is set near the Boston Public Library in Copley Square.
What time does the Boston Marathon start today?
The 130th edition of the Boston Marathon will kick off the first race for Men’s Wheelchair at 9:06 a.m. ET, with the following start times for athletes competing in the day’s races as listed by the association.
Women’s Wheelchair at 9:09 a.m. ET
Handcycle & Duo Participants at 9:30 a.m. ET
Professional Men at 9:37 a.m. ET
Professional Women at 9:47 a.m. ET
Para Athletics Divisions at 9:50 a.m. ET
Wave 1 at 10 a.m. ET
Wave 2 at 10:25 a.m. ET
Wave 3 at 10:50 a.m. ET
Wave 4 at 11:15 a.m. ET
Boston Marathon 2026 will be covered live by ABC for all Boston-area viewers, with broadcast starting at 4 a.m. this morning, Monday, April 20, 2026.
Entertainment
Who was Shamar Elkins? Louisiana gunman who killed 8 children in mass shooting
Louisiana community is mourning the loss of 8 children who became the victims of a mass shooting in Shreveport on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
On Sunday morning, a tragic incident of mass shooting shocked the community in Shreveport when a gunman opened fire and killed eight children, between the ages of 3 and 11 years old.
The latest incident marks the deadliest mass shooting in a period of over two years.
Louisiana police have identified the gunman as a 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, who shot and killed his seven children and a cousin.
The shooting incident also resulted in wounding two women, including his spouse before the dawn’s first crack in a rampage at least in two locations.
After the shooting, which officials described as “homicide in nature,” the gunman escaped the scene in carjacked vehicle.
As a result of a police chase, the suspect in a crossfire was shot and killed by officers.
The Coroner’s office at the Caddo Parish has confirmed the identities of the victims.
These include Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow, 6; and Braylon Snow, 5.
Who was the gunman?
Shamar Elkins spent seven years in the Louisiana Army National Guard. From August 2013 to August 2020, as a signal support system expert and a fire support specialist, per CNN.
Elkins was never stationed and exited the Army in 2020, and their rank at the time of leaving was EI (private).
The outlet also reported Elkins’ past criminal record, as he had two prior criminal convictions in Caddo District Court.
As per the court records, Elkins married Shaneiqua Pugh, 34, about two years ago.
As per NYT, Elkins had a troubled domestic life and a strained relationship with his wife.
In a separate report by AP, which highlighted that the couple was in the middle of a separation and had a heated argument just moments before the shooting.
The shooting is seen as the deadliest in the U.S. since January 2024, when a 23-year-old man shot eight people, most of them his relatives, in a Chicago suburb.
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