British-Pakistani actor Zoha Rahman is the first ever hijabi character to appear in Marvel’s latest blockbuster Spider-Man: Far from Home.
She stars as the Muslim friend of Peter Parker in the Hollywood movie, her iconic character marks the first time a hijab clad woman will be seen in a Marvel film.
Rahman, who was born in Pakistan and moved to the United Kingdom for studies, shared how ethnic minority actors struggle in Hollywood. In an interview with Al Jazeera, she said “The roles that are on offer for actors of colour, like me, are limited. It’s always a sidekick, or a best friend or a shopkeeper.”
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“I want to work towards getting into audition rooms where I am seen as an actor who can play any role, not just the ‘South Asian woman’ or the ‘Muslim woman’,” she continued.
She thinks Muslims are represented negatively on the big screen. “I feel like the Muslim identity is used as an agenda in the media,” she said.
Talking about how she bagged the role of a lifetime, she shared that her modelling agency sent her portfolio for a top-secret role in a film. Rahman said she had no idea what her part was before the audition due to confidentiality concerns, but the team really liked her performance.
“I was at a train station when I got the call from production telling me I got the part,” she explains. “I felt so many emotions at once – shock, happiness, nervousness, gratefulness.”
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Rahman, who always dreamed of working on a Hollywood set but never thought it would become a reality, opened up about her experience. She said working alongside actors like Zendaya, Samuel L Jackson and Jake Gyllenhaal was wonderful because everyone was professional and nice.
The young actress is determined to create more space for underrepresented actors. “This isn’t just about me. I want to colour in every screen I can – literally!”
The highly anticipated Spider-Man: Far From Home hit cinema son July 2.
