Palestinian-American comedian Mo Amer’s star keeps rising.
Netlfix has announced two projects from the comedian, including a new stand-up special premiering at the end of this month entitled Mo Amer: Mohammed in Texas, as well as something very exciting—a scripted comedy series from Amer and Ramy Youssef.
The series, produced by A24 which also produces Youssef’s hit show Ramy, follows a Palestinian refugee on the path to US Citizenship.
We sat down with Ramy earlier this year, who hinted at the project he was working on but couldn’t reveal yet. Read here.
The comedy special, Amer’s second, includes an hour-long set explores everything from pandemic politics to the stock market, the spread of Arab culture in the West (hookah, hummus, and the proliferation of bidets), and the subtle art of cursing in Arabic. A surprise encore explores what it means to have two homes with no land, while calling for greater civility and neighborliness in a divided world, according to Netflix.
Here’s the official synopsis of the upcoming series:
“Mo Najjar straddles the line between two cultures, three languages and a ton of bullshit as a Palestinian refugee constantly living one step away from asylum on the path to U.S. citizenship. His family — including his resilient and spiritual mother, sister and older brother — flee to Houston, Texas. Laughing the pain away, Mo learns to adapt to his new world though getting ahead in life comes with several setbacks.
“The heartfelt comedy is created and executive produced by comedians Mo Amer (The Vagabond, Black Adam) and Ramy Youssef (Ramy, Mr. Robot). The series is executive produced by Ravi Nandan and Hallie Sekoff for A24, Harris Danow (Little Fires Everywhere, Daisy Jones & The Six), Luvh Rakhe (Dave, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), and series Director Solvan “Slick” Naim (It’s Bruno!, Snowfall).”
The show doesn’t have a title or a release date as of yet, but it has a number of exciting Arab stars in support of Amer.
Here’s the official cast listing:
Mo Amer as Mo Najjar, a refugee at the mercy of a decades-long, convoluted immigration process. He works hard for his family, wanting to provide for the people he loves…even if they might not approve of the means.
Teresa Ruiz (Father Stu, Narcos:Mexico) as Maria, an ambitious business woman and supportive girlfriend who is committed to her relationship with Mo but will not compromise on her independence or her beliefs.
Farah Bsieso as Yusra Najjar (devoted mother to Mo and Sameer Najjar), the quick-witted, intelligent and, when necessary, meddlesome head of the family. Despite all the loss and hardship she has endured, Yusra has only grown stronger focusing on the things that matter most to her: family, God and The Price is Right.
Omar Elba (Limetown, A Hologram for the King) as Sameer Najjar, Mo’s brilliant older brother, with a natural innocence and a deep love of cats. He has always had trouble fitting in due to his social anxieties. Deep down, Sameer has a desire for independence and romantic love.
Tobe Nwigwe as Nick, Mo’s oldest, most loyal and most cunning friend. After spending his youth getting into trouble with Mo, Nick has sought out a calmer lifestyle, but his willingness to stand by his best friend means his life can never truly be stress-free.