Ramy Youssef | |
|---|---|
.png) Youssef in 2017 | |
| Born | (1991-03-26)March 26, 1991 (age 33) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
Ramy Youssef (Arabic:رامي يوسف,Egyptian Arabic:[ˈɾɑːmiˈjuːsɪf]; born March 26, 1991)[1][2] is an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and director. He is known for his role as Ramy Hassan on theHulu comedy seriesRamy (2019–2022), for which he won aGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy and aPeabody Award in 2020. He was also nominated for twoPrimetime Emmy Awards:Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series andOutstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
Ramy Youssef was born in 1991[3] in theQueens borough ofNew York City, toEgyptian parents,[4] and raised inRutherford, New Jersey.[5] Ten years after emigrating from Egypt, his father became a manager at thePlaza Hotel in New York City.[6] He was raised in aMuslim household, observing Islamic holidays, and Youssef remains a practicing Muslim.[7][8]
Youssef attendedRutherford High School. In high school, he and his friendSteve Way appeared on their high school television program.[9][5] He went on to study political science and economics atRutgers University, Newark, but he left before graduating to enroll atWilliam Esper Studio to focus on acting.[10][11]
Youssef speaks Arabic and English.[12] His maternal grandfather was a French and Arabic interpreter at theUnited Nations.[12]
Youssef made his acting debut on theNick at Nite sitcomSee Dad Run in which he had a main role. During the run of the show, Youssef shadowed the writers' room, an experience Youssef would bring to his own show in 2019.[5]
In 2017, Youssef appeared onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert where he performed his stand-up routine.[5]
His television seriesRamy debuted onHulu on April 19, 2019, with 10 episodes.[13] The show, in which Youssef plays the title character, tells the story of amillennial first-generation Muslim-American born to immigrant parents in the United States.[14][15] Soon after its first season debuted, Hulu renewed it for a second season.[16] He received aGolden Globe in January 2020 for this role, and was also nominated for twoPrimetime Emmy Awards, as both an actor and director.[17]
In June 2019, Youssef starred in his firstHBO stand-up comedy special,Ramy Youssef: Feelings.[18]
Along withMo Amer, Youssef is the co-creator ofMo, an American comedy-drama streaming television series that premiered on August 24, 2022, onNetflix.[19]
After the debut ofRamy, Youssef signed an overall television production deal withA24. As of December 2019, he had two shows in development, one forApple TV+ and one forNetflix.[20]
In 2021, he was nominated for anotherGolden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy forRamy.[10][21][22]
Ramy season three premiered in the United States on 30 September 2022.[23]
In a February 2024 interview, Youssef toldVanity Fair that his art has often taken him toPalestine, including to perform stand-up comedy in 2014 and in the aforementioned third season ofRamy.[12]
In 2023, Youssef toured his comedy show "More Feelings" and announced that proceeds from the final 12 nights would raise funds forGaza through American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA).[24] On December 8, 2023, Youssef's "More Feelings" show at theBrooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), which donated all proceeds from ticket sales to ANERA, drew headlines when celebrities includingTaylor Swift andSelena Gomez attended.[24]
Youssef had his first major movie role[25] in the 2023 filmPoor Things, directed byYorgos Lanthimos.
On March 30, 2024, Youssef hostedSaturday Night Live.[26]
In August 2024, it was announced that Youssef was entering into a partnership with Netflix to develop serializedfirst-look projects through his production company Cairo Cowboy.[27]
In 2025, Youssef co-created alongsidePam Brady,#1 Happy Family USA forAmazon Prime Video.[28]
Youssef has been married to a visual artist from Saudi Arabia since 2022.[29][30] He met his wife throughMay Calamawy, his co-star inRamy.[29] He is private about his personal life, and has chosen not to disclose his wife's personal details publicly.[29][31]
He signed an open letter toPresident Biden on October 20, 2023 by 55 prominent artists and advocates in the entertainment industry calling for a ceasefire and release of hostages inGaza during the Israeli invasion in response to theOctober 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel.[32] Youssef also wore an "Artists for Ceasefire" pin at the2024 Academy Awards.[33] Youssef prayed for God to "Please free the people of Palestine. And please free the hostages” during hisSaturday Night Live monologue on March 30, 2024.[26]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Why Him? | Coder in kitchen | |
| 2018 | Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot | Drinker | |
| 2023 | Poor Things | Max McCandles | |
| Wish | Safi | Voice | |
| 2025 | UntitledJesse Armstrong film† | Jeff | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–2014 | See Dad Run | Kevin Kostner | Main role |
| 2015 | Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn | Ty | Episode: "Unhappy Campers" |
| 2016 | Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street | Lennon | Episode: "Gortimer vs. the World's Best Mom" |
| 2017 | Mr. Robot | Samar Swailem | 3 episodes |
| 2019–2022 | Ramy | Ramy Hassan | Lead role; also creator, writer, director, and executive producer |
| 2019 | Ramy Youssef: Feelings | Himself | Stand-up special |
| 2022–2025 | Mo | — | Co-creator |
| 2023 | The Bear | — | Director; episode "Honeydew" |
| 2024 | Ramy Youssef: More Feelings | Himself | Stand-up special |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself (host) | Episode "Ramy Youssef/Travis Scott" | |
| 2025 | #1 Happy Family USA | Rumi Hussein / Hussein Hussein | Voice; Also executive producer, writer, and creator |
| TBA | Golf | Main role; also co-creator and executive producer[34] Upcoming series |
Youssef, 28 [as of April 18, 2019]
He made certain that he properly introduced me to his then fiancée, and now wife, who came to hang out
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
