Mawaan Rizwan

Mawaan Rizwan was born on August 18, 1992, in Lahore, Pakistan. His mother, Shahnaz Rizwan, was an actress in black and white Pakistani films. In 1994, Mawaan, his mother, and his sister emigrated to London. After facing deportation threats, the family was granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK following legal battles and protests for immigration rights. Rizwan began his career by creating YouTube videos at the age of 16, which helped him secure roles in television and streaming productions. In 2013, he starred in the BAFTA-nominated series “DNN: Definitely Not Newsround.” He continued his television work with “Mega Awesome Super Hacks” on Disney XD UK in 2015.

Rizwan’s career expanded into documentary filmmaking with “How Gay Is Pakistan?” in 2015, where he explored LGBTQ issues under Islamic law in his birth country. His stand-up comedy career began in 2010 in Leicester Square, leading to performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which received positive critical reviews for his physicality and unique comedic style. He released music singles such as “I’ve Got a New Walk” and “Mango” in 2019. In 2020, Rizwan appeared in the Sky One series “Two Weeks to Live” and was named one of Forbes’ ’30 under 30′ for his writing contributions to Netflix’s “Sex Education” and his comedic performances. He also participated in the 10th series of “Taskmaster.”

In 2023, Rizwan created, starred in, and co-produced the BBC Three surreal comedy series “Juice,” based on his Edinburgh Fringe show. The series features his mother and brother in key roles. In May 2024, Rizwan won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Male Comedy Performance for his role in “Juice,” with a second series slated for release in 2025. He also made an appearance on Comic Relief in March 2024, performing his music. Rizwan plans to focus on music, including more serious projects, in the future, reflecting his diverse artistic interests and career progression.