Comedian Ramy Youssef on Emmy-nominated “Ramy”

Episode notes

Photo: Hulu

Ramy Youssef on Hulu’s”Ramy”When comedian and actor Ramy Youssef had the chance to make a TV show, he knew he wanted to write what he knew: his family, his childhood, his hometown.

Hulu’s Ramy follows the life of a young Arab Muslim man living in New Jersey – much like Youssef’s personal experience.

At different times, Ramy wonders what to do about his career, his love life and his family life. All stuff that’s pretty typical for a millennial of his age.

One of the things that makes the show Ramy unique is how it talks about faith.

Ramy, the character, is a practicing Muslim. He prays. He goes to a mosque. He doesn’t drink. Amid the millennial existential angst and jokes about sex, the show also asks some probing, deep questions about faith.

It’s a show that explores complex themes in an engaging way. And it’s as compelling as it is funny.

Recently, Ramy was nominated for three Emmys: best directing in a comedy, best supporting actor from the great Mahershala Ali, and best actor for Ramy Youssef.

Jordan Morris, in for Jesse, talks with Ramy Youssef about the Emmy-nominated show, and his own journey through faith. Plus, how self-deprecating humor has helped him collaborate with actors when working on the show.

The show has been picked up for a third season. The first two seasons of Ramy are streaming on Hulu now.

In this episode...

Jesse Thorn

Host

Kevin Ferguson

Senior Producer

Jesus Ambrosio

Producer

Richard Robey

Maximum Fun Producer

Daniel Huecias

Maximum Fun Production Fellow

About the show

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.

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