Actor Amena Ahmad attributes some of her growing success to fellow Concordians. “Concordia alumni have helped me along every step of my career,” she says. | Photo: Karen Benedict
“I still got paid. But my heart sank when I learnt the news. But such is show business — you take the highs with the lows!”
Ahmad has had plenty of highs. In fact, since graduating from Concordia in 2012, she has been on a roll. Among her credits are the 2018 Quebec film Pour Vivre Ici and the 2017 TV series Fubar: Age of Computer.
Ahmad recently sat down for a candid Q&A about her rising star.
What was it like to work on the hit 2018 Quebec film Pour Vivre Ici?
Amena Ahmad: “It was my first feature film. Honestly, I never thought I’d be working much in the French side of the industry. I’m an anglophone and speak French with an accent.
So in Pour Vivre Ici I play a woman from India — I speak English in the film — and it was a wonderful opportunity to work with well-established actors in the francophone industry. It is easy to get trapped in an English bubble. The actors and production workers on this film gave me a wonderful introduction to francophone cinema, and I look forward to continue working in French.”
What has the experience been like on the set of the Viceland TV series Fubar: Age of Computer?
AA: “Fubar has been a wild ride. It has been adventurous in all the right ways, thanks to actor Paul Spence [star of Fubar].
I play a young aspiring millennial, up-and-coming music producer who deejays, and the character pokes fun at young millennial culture, plays up the stereotypes. My character will exploit any trend to make her band become the next big thing! It was a lot of fun to be a part of this cult comedy.”
What was it like to work with Paul Spence?
AA: “He is in character one moment, the next we are talking about the poetry of Yeats. He is a very smart, versatile and generous actor.”