Ramy Youssef was born in 1991[3] in the Queens borough of New York City, to Egyptian parents,[4] and raised in Rutherford, New Jersey.[5] Ten years after emigrating from Egypt, his father became a manager at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.[6] He was raised in a Muslim household, observing Islamic holidays, and Youssef remains a practicing Muslim.[7][8]
Youssef made his acting debut on the Nick at Nite sitcom See 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]
His television series Ramy debuted on Hulu on April 19, 2019, with 10 episodes.[13] The show, in which Youssef plays the title character, tells the story of a millennial Muslim who is a first-generation 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 a Golden Globe in January 2020 for this role, and was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, as both an actor and director.[17]
In June 2019, Youssef starred in his first HBO stand-up comedy special, Ramy Youssef: Feelings.[18]
Along with Mo Amer, Youssef is the co-creator of Mo, an American comedy-drama streaming television series that premiered on August 24, 2022, on Netflix.[19]
After the debut of Ramy, Youssef signed an overall television production deal with A24. As of December 2019, he had two shows in development, one for Apple TV+ and one for Netflix.[20]
In a February 2024 interview, Youssef told Vanity Fair that his art has often taken him to Palestine, including to perform stand-up comedy in 2014 and in the third season of Ramy.[12]
In 2023, Youssef toured his comedy show "More Feelings" and announced that proceeds from the final 12 nights would raise funds for Gaza through American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA).[23] On December 8, 2023, Youssef's "More Feelings" show at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), which donated all proceeds from ticket sales to ANERA, drew headlines when celebrities including Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez attended.[23]
Youssef has been married to a visual artist from Saudi Arabia since 2022.[25][26] He met his wife through May Calamawy, his co-star in Ramy.[25] He is private about his personal life, and has chosen not to disclose his wife's personal details publicly.[25][27]
In October 2023, he signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire in Gaza during the Israeli invasion of Gaza.[28] Youssef also wore an "Artists for Ceasefire" pin at the 2024 Academy Awards,[29] and called for the release of all hostages and a permanent ceasefire in Gaza when he hosted Saturday Night Live on 30 March 2024.[24]
^Last, First (April 2019). "Ramy Youssef Discovers Himself". The Last Laugh (Podcast). Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2019. Timestamp needed.
^Hagi, Sarah (August 16, 2022). "How Bella Hadid and Ramy Youssef Became BFFs". GQ. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2024. He made certain that he properly introduced me to his then fiancée, and now wife, who came to hang out
