AHMED ELHAJ IS PROVING HE IS QUITE DANGEROUS ON SCREEN IN HIS NEW SHOW “DANGEROUS LIAISONS.”

Right now, there finally seems to be a true movement in Hollywood where not only audiences, but
people in power behind the scenes are finally starting to understand the worth and importance of
inclusion and visibility, leading to far more diversity in current projects, and thankfully, there have been a
slew of great actors coming into the fold to also help illuminate the pertinence of the issue and how
bankable representation and inclusion can also be- and we are very pleased to sit down and talk to rising
star Ahmed Elhaj about all he has coming up.
Already in high demand and quickly showing the world just how talented he is, the magnetic star
is already making a name for himself with his recent work in the buzzy new take on the classic
“Dangerous Liaisons,” for STARZ/LIONSGATE, and to top it all off, the in-demand star also has two other
anxiously anticipated projects in the pipe as well; “Grantchester” for ITV & Amazon, and “Silent Witness”
for BBC. So, it’s really easy to see why Elhaj has been touted as the “it boy” and next big thing, so much
so that he even landed in the inaugural Top 10 Next-Generation Actors List assembled by Warner Bros
TV Casting compiled across 400 programs with over 6,000 actors.
And with all that already making the soon to be superstar the name on every casting director’s
lips, it’s easy to see why the gifted talent just snagged a plum role for the extremely talked about new
Apple Series “Bad Monkey,” where he will be acting alongside fan favorite funny man Vince Vaughn. With
so much on the way, and so much talent to offer, it’s simple to see that Elhaj is easily going to be one of
Hollywood’s most formidable leading men very soon, and we here at WINGMAN are very honored to sit
down with the charismatic star and ask him about all he has going on, his hot new projects, and what else
he would like to do in the future, so, to find out more, read on to see what he had to say!
WINGMAN: You graduated from school very recently and have already booked many well-known
and exciting projects – how has that felt to go from school to set so quickly?
AHMED ELHAJ: At first it was extremely daunting. Drama school can only set you up to a certain extent
by replicating what they know about the industry and how it works but the only way you can really learn is
by experiencing it first-hand. Seeing how things change instantly and how you have to be so secure in
your work so you can change due to anything such as the director having a different vision, they change
the way they wanted the shot etc. So it was scary at first but once you can relax and get your shoulders to
stop being held by your ears because you’re nervous then you start to really enjoy it.
WINGMAN: As a young person first experiencing the industry and Hollywood this last year, what
has surprised you so far?
ELHAJ: What’s surprised me is how much you learn from other actors. Everyone is amazing and has
their own uniqueness to them that when you work with them it rubs off on you a little. Which then inspires
you to find your own uniqueness  or take what they had, make it into your own and add a little twist to it.
My work is just a mixture of all the different actor’s uniqueness I’ve worked with and admired which I then
made into my own. My favorite scene to film was definitely a fencing scene I did for “Dangerous Liaisons.”
I love action sequences and having done them so much at drama school, to do it on a big set with an
audience and in the correct fencing gear felt surreal.
WINGMAN: Big or small – what has been your favorite role or scene to film to date? And why?
ELHAJ:  I’m most excited for “Dangerous Liaisons” as the cast are just amazing and we became close to
each other so I’m intrigued how the energy is received and transmitted through the screen. The story is
also incredible and definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat.
WINGMAN: There has been a lot of meaningful conversations and discussion about
representation and the push for more inclusion lately – How important is it to you for characters
we see on TV and film to represent our society?
ELHAJ: I think it is the most important thing. Representation in media does so many things for people on
different levels. For adults who are not even of the culture or race, they can have a realistic insight
(provided it’s done properly) on what this specific race and culture are actually like. The problems and
situations they face and that can eliminate some prejudice and bring in more understanding of something
they don’t know. For also children it’s amazing to grow up seeing someone who is like you on a screen. It
allows for the child to really set their ambitions highs and know that they can be what they want to be
because there are people who look like them doing the same. It also can add a factor to people it
represents that they matter. They’re stories are just as important as the other stories that we see time and
time again.
WINGMAN: What is your dream role?

WINGMAN: What is your dream role?

ELHAJ: My dream role is definitely the anti-hero or anti-villain. I love subverting the norm and doing
things that aren’t conventional and not what you expected. So this would be Perfect for me. Someone you
supposed to love but hate or visa-versa or maybe you can’t decide. One scene you love them and then
once scene you hate them.
WINGMAN: You obviously have studied and prepared for quite some time– is “real world” acting
very different from learning at school or even auditioning? How does it differ when you step on
set?
ELHAJ: Yes, everything moves so quickly and you have to be solid in what the scene is and what’s going
on from the get go. Being in a learning establishment allows for the breather of finding your steps and still
trying to find what works for you. Working on a real set, because I’ve had that experience at school,
I  know what works for me therefore it’s more about the scene and what’s needed rather than it being
90% focused on how I can become a better actor and trying new things to bring that out.
WINGMAN: You have a lot of interesting projects coming out soon – what do we have to look
forward to most from Ahmed Elhaj next?
ELHAJ: My next project is bad Monkey on Apple TV which I’m hugely excited for. With an amazing team
both in front  and behind the screen, I expect nothing but an amazing show to come out of the
collaboration between the two. I play a character called Neville who is a tame Bahamian fisherman whose
life gets shaken when the one thing he has in his life, his home, is destroyed and taken away from him. It
should be exciting it has comedy, drama and action so should be very interesting to watch.

We’re definitely interested in watching anything with talented newcomer Elhaj!