How Ramy Youssef, Creator of the First Series About a Muslim-American Family, Reinvented TV

The comedian on keeping audiences on their toes, his creative approach and making a show about faith

One of last year’s best new series was Ramy, which creator/star Ramy Youssef based on his life as part of an Arab-Muslim family living in New Jersey. While Ramy was a critical success, the Hulu comedy—which is TV’s first scripted show to center on a Muslim-American family—didn’t really break through until January’s Golden Globes. That night, Youssef was the unexpected winner of best actor in a TV musical or comedy series, over bigger names like Michael Douglas (from Netflix’s The Kominsky Method) and Bill Hader (HBO’s Barry).

The audience was surprised, but quickly charmed by the comedian’s acceptance speech.

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This story first appeared in the June 8, 2020, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.