For Ramy Youssef, 2019 was a year of major success. Now, he’s entering 2020 with a Golden Globe in hand.
Youssef, who grew up in Rutherford, has won the Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy series for his performance in Hulu’s “Ramy.”
The actor, comedian and writer is the creator of the well-received dramedy, which debuted in April and is nearing its second season.
“I would like to thank my God, Allahu akbar," Youssef said, accepting the award. "Thank you, God. This is thanks to God and Hulu.”
“Look, I know you guys haven’t seen my show,” he continued, getting more than a few laughs from the crowd. “Everyone is like, ‘ls this an editor??’"
Youssef accepts the Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy series.Paul Drinkwater | NBC
“We made a very specific show about an Arab Muslim family living in New Jersey and this means a lot to be recognized on this level," Youssef said. “So I want to thank everyone who is involved, my co-creators, producers, my family, my mom and dad. My mom was rooting for Michael Douglas. Egyptians love Michael Douglas, I don’t know if you know this. But this means a lot. Thank you, HFPA.”
In “Ramy," Youssef, 28, plays Ramy Hassan, a millennial of Muslim Egyptian and Palestinian American heritage living in North Jersey. In a March interview with NJ Advance Media, Youssef, who is Egyptian American, said he wanted to show Arab American Muslims living their lives in a way that was not visible on screen.
“Part of my desire to make this show was a lack of seeing anything that felt like it,” Youssef said. “I think that a lot of the stories I would see was kids who are first-generation immigrants, watching them try to rip themselves from their family and their faith and kind of erase. I hadn’t really seen anything where someone’s trying to reconcile the two.”
Youssef in scene with Hiam Abbass and Amr Waked, who play his parents in "Ramy."Craig Blankenhorn | Hulu
In the series, Ramy often tries to work out some of life’s problems with friends at a local diner.
“That’s what you do if you’re from Jersey,” Youssef said. "You make a big decision at a diner at 3 in the morning. Like, that’s how you talk about life, that’s how you operate, and there’s this underdog-ness to being in the shadow of the city that’s so interesting and really pairs, intersectionally, interestingly, with being an Arab Muslim, you know, because it’s like, ‘Oh, man, I feel like people have put me one step behind.’ I probably have just as hard of a time defending New Jersey as I do defending Muslims. They are two very misunderstood groups, and to kind of pair them together is just a very natural fit and I think it’s important for the show.”
Youssef wins the Golden Globe over “Living with Yourself" star Paul Rudd, another actor with Jersey ties (he was born in Passaic), as well as Bill Hader of “Barry,” Michael Douglas of “The Kominsky Method" and Ben Platt of “The Politician."
The talent from Bergen County celebrated the debut of his first HBO special, “Feelings," in June. Youssef also has an overall deal with A24 for which he is working on two shows, including a Netflix series and a series for Apple TV Plus that will star his real-life friend Steve Way. (A24 also produces “Ramy.")
Way, a fellow comedian, co-stars with Youssef in “Ramy” and works as a substitute teacher at Rutherford High School. He has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair.
“Being in this society and in this industry where disability representation is very poor, being able to authentically tell my story, that’s something that the disability community has been fighting for for decades,” Way told NJ Advance Media in March.
Youssef told The Hollywood Reporter that with the Apple series, he wants to show that people with disabilities don’t have to be relegated to being side characters.
“What is it like to be with other people who are going through similar things and not just being the one in someone else’s story?” he said.
The second season of “Ramy," which is set to premiere in the coming months, will feature Oscar winner Mahershala Ali.
Have a tip? Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.
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