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Men ENTERTAINMENT July 29, 2020

“Ramy” Becomes First Muslim American Sitcom to Receive Emmy Nomination

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Ramy Youssef

Ramy Youssef. Image courtesy of Getty

Ramy Youssef’s show “Ramy'” has become the first ever Muslim American sitcom to be nominated for the Emmy’s. The Egyptian-American co-creator and star of the Hulu series is nominated in the categories of Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series. Youssef appeared shocked yet delighted and in a humble appraisal of the news simply thanked God by saying, “Alhamdulillah.”

“Ramy” zones in on the life and trials of Youssef’s character Ramy Hassan, a first-generation Egyptian-American as he grapples with his cultural identity and religious beliefs combined with his American millennial lifestyle. The show addresses the juggling act between the challenges of practicing the Muslim faith in a modern and diverse community, all through the power of comedy. It has resonated with many young people from a whole range of backgrounds as they relate to the lead’s anxiety and personal and professional woes.

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The series has also been a hit with the network as it renewed it for a third season just last month. This is not the first time Youssef has been honored for his contribution to diverse comedy–he claimed a Golden Globe for best performance by an actor in a television series in January of this year.

Ramy Youssef Golden Globe

Ramy Youssef at the Golden Globes. Getty

In an interview with American press, he commented, “It’s really exciting because we’re so specific. I think that you watch our show, you realize in a good way that we’re not even close to covering the entirety of the Muslim experience. For a show that only portrays a sliver of it to get recognized, I think that that should mean that we’re going to get many more Muslim stories greenlit because the umbrella of the Muslim experience is so vast — it’s so many different groups, so many types of people.” Youssef continued, “There’s so many more stories that that could be told so it excites me for the bigger picture, one that doesn’t even include me,” he added.

The Television Academy has honored other Muslim roles in TV this year including Aziz Ansari for his work with “Master of None” and Riz Ahmed for “The Night Of.” Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen also bagged a nomination for his part in the “Watchmen” and took to Twitter with the news.

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, September 20, on ABC with Jimmy Kimmel set to host.

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