This is Fresh Air. I'm Tanya Mosley. A struggling British Pakistani actor lands the audition of a lifetime as James Bond. Word gets out, and the internet goes wild. And suddenly, his life starts to resemble the very character he's auditioning to play. He's in a chase sequence, except he's not chasing a villain. He's chasing acceptance.

That's the setup for bait, a new prime video series that is part spy thriller, part family

comedy, part psychological unraveling, and entirely unlike anything else on television right now.

My guest, Riz Ahmed, wrote, created it, produced

it, and stars as the lead character, Shah Latif. Bate opens with Shah in a tuxedo, doing a

James Bond screen test. He's debonair, commanding, in control, James Bond personified.

And then he forgets his lines.

Tell me, when it's just you all alone, how do you live with yourself?

Do you even know who you are.

Line?

Sorry.

Sorry, Helen.

It's all good.

It's all good. It's just we're on's just... We're on a bit of a schedule.

Yeah, that's why I was thinking. Quick reset back to once I'll nail it this time.

How are you blowing this audition?

I know the speech. I know it.

Yeah, you f***ing up every time at the exact same moment.

What is this a prank show, wearing a hidden camera?

That's funny. No, I just have a very particular process. I've got my head around it now. I'm ready. Sorry, Rose, we just have to know. Yeah, well, just a minute. Sorry, how was your weekend? That's good, thanks, that was yours. Great. Yeah, what did you do? Just, yeah, thanks, thanks, Jim. Don't rush.

My second, stop it.

Sorry.

...