WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.480 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today we're opening 00:00:02.480 --> 00:00:05.240 up the sources on Rami Youssef. Yeah, and really 00:00:05.240 --> 00:00:07.059 trying to get under the hood of what makes him 00:00:07.059 --> 00:00:09.560 such a pivotal figure. Absolutely. He's not just, 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:12.039 you know, another comedian. The sources paint 00:00:12.039 --> 00:00:17.179 him as this multi -hyphenate creator who really 00:00:17.179 --> 00:00:20.039 shifted how Muslim American life gets shown on 00:00:20.039 --> 00:00:22.579 screen, fundamentally. He didn't just pull up 00:00:22.579 --> 00:00:24.679 a chair, like he said. He sort of rebuilt the 00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:26.620 whole setup. So we've got a good stack here. 00:00:27.179 --> 00:00:29.359 Biographical details, critical analyses of his 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:32.299 work, interviews, reports on his production deals, 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:35.640 activism. It's pretty comprehensive. It really 00:00:35.640 --> 00:00:38.340 is. And our goal today as we dive deep is to 00:00:38.340 --> 00:00:40.759 trace that path. Right. How did this kid from 00:00:40.759 --> 00:00:42.939 Jersey, you know, with this specific background, 00:00:43.100 --> 00:00:45.619 end up winning a Golden Globe? How did he build 00:00:45.619 --> 00:00:48.299 this production footprint? And also tackle how 00:00:48.299 --> 00:00:51.659 he navigates that. complex space between his 00:00:51.659 --> 00:00:53.899 art and his public voice especially on really 00:00:53.899 --> 00:00:56.500 sensitive topics which the sources cover in detail 00:00:56.500 --> 00:00:58.600 yeah that tightrope walk and what strikes you 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:00.200 immediately looking through all this is just 00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:03.799 how rare his trajectory is how so Well, achieving 00:01:03.799 --> 00:01:06.760 that level of recognition, both critical and 00:01:06.760 --> 00:01:10.480 commercial, while holding on to so much creative 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:13.900 control, acting, writing, directing, producing. 00:01:13.980 --> 00:01:16.680 He does it all. Animation now, too. Exactly. 00:01:17.379 --> 00:01:19.859 He didn't really wait for the industry to make 00:01:19.859 --> 00:01:22.340 space for him. The sources show he kind of built 00:01:22.340 --> 00:01:24.939 his own platform, his own infrastructure. It's 00:01:24.939 --> 00:01:27.040 quite remarkable, honestly. OK, so let's start 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:29.219 at the beginning. The blueprint. You could say 00:01:29.219 --> 00:01:33.340 born March 26, 1991. Right. In Queens, New York 00:01:33.340 --> 00:01:35.719 City, which makes him 34 now as we're talking. 00:01:35.900 --> 00:01:38.159 But the real grounding, the place that seems 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:41.000 central to his story, that's New Jersey, isn't 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:43.739 it? Yeah. Rutherford, New Jersey. Raised there 00:01:43.739 --> 00:01:46.040 by Egyptian parents. So you have that immediate 00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:48.840 first generation dynamic. Navigating two worlds. 00:01:49.060 --> 00:01:51.359 Constantly. The Egyptian heritage, the Muslim 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:54.260 household, the Arabic language at home versus, 00:01:54.379 --> 00:01:56.799 you know, typical American suburban life outside. 00:01:57.060 --> 00:01:58.799 And there's that one detail about his father 00:01:58.799 --> 00:02:00.400 that really sticks out in the sources. Oh, the 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:03.349 plaza hotel manager? Yeah. Ten years after emigrating, 00:02:03.349 --> 00:02:05.709 managing the plaza. Yeah, that says a lot. It 00:02:05.709 --> 00:02:08.030 really does. It's like the immigrant dream, but 00:02:08.030 --> 00:02:12.250 also proximity to this iconic piece of New York 00:02:12.250 --> 00:02:14.930 City aspiration. So you have the grounding in 00:02:14.930 --> 00:02:17.370 faith and tradition in Rutherford. Right, observing 00:02:17.370 --> 00:02:19.409 Islamic holidays, being part of that community. 00:02:19.550 --> 00:02:22.729 He's still a practicing Muslim, which is central 00:02:22.729 --> 00:02:25.150 to his work. It's not just backstory. No, it 00:02:25.150 --> 00:02:27.729 drives the conflict, the questions in Rami. Absolutely. 00:02:28.050 --> 00:02:30.949 And then you have this window into high -end 00:02:30.949 --> 00:02:33.169 American. culture right across the river. That 00:02:33.169 --> 00:02:35.810 mix must have been incredibly formative, hard 00:02:35.810 --> 00:02:38.949 work, success, but rooted. And the roots go deep. 00:02:39.050 --> 00:02:42.509 He's bilingual, Arabic, and English. And that 00:02:42.509 --> 00:02:45.030 skill with language, with bridging cultures, 00:02:45.150 --> 00:02:47.969 it actually runs in the family, his maternal 00:02:47.969 --> 00:02:50.469 grandfather. Oh, this is fascinating. The UN 00:02:50.469 --> 00:02:52.900 interpreter. Yeah. French and Arabic interpreter 00:02:52.900 --> 00:02:54.620 at the United Nations. I mean, think about that. 00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:58.379 Wow. So literally mediating complex global stuff. 00:02:58.599 --> 00:03:00.680 Exactly. It's like this lineage of cross -cultural 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:02.919 communication. And Rami does that too, just through 00:03:02.919 --> 00:03:05.340 comedy. It's a really interesting parallel. Okay. 00:03:05.379 --> 00:03:07.360 So that's the identity foundation. Now the education 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:10.379 part, this is where it gets really interesting 00:03:10.379 --> 00:03:12.960 strategically. Definitely. Because it wasn't 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:14.780 the straight path you might expect. He did well 00:03:14.780 --> 00:03:18.960 in high school, right? Rutherford High. Got named 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:21.860 a distinguished graduate later on. Yeah, in 2023. 00:03:22.259 --> 00:03:25.520 And even back then, he was performing. High school 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:28.699 TV program. With Steve Way, his friend who's 00:03:28.699 --> 00:03:30.840 also in Ramy. That's the one. So the performance 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:33.699 bug was there early. But then college. He starts 00:03:33.699 --> 00:03:36.300 at Rutgers Newark, studying political science 00:03:36.300 --> 00:03:39.199 and economics. Which sounds, you know, very sensible, 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:42.080 very first -gen ambitious. Yeah. Law school track, 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:45.120 maybe business. Exactly. The safe, prestigious 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:48.280 route. And then he leaves. Doesn't graduate. 00:03:48.539 --> 00:03:50.400 That's the pivot. You have to pause there, like 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:52.460 you said earlier, because dropping that kind 00:03:52.460 --> 00:03:55.020 of degree school. Yeah, that's a huge leap of 00:03:55.020 --> 00:03:58.620 faith, especially imagine maybe explaining that 00:03:58.620 --> 00:04:01.300 to immigrant parents. The sources don't detail 00:04:01.300 --> 00:04:03.979 the family reaction, do they? Not specifically 00:04:03.979 --> 00:04:06.139 the immediate reaction, but they emphasize the 00:04:06.139 --> 00:04:08.240 reason for the shift. It wasn't about giving 00:04:08.240 --> 00:04:10.960 up. It was about focusing intensely. He went 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:13.849 to the William Esper studio. For acting. Right. 00:04:13.969 --> 00:04:16.329 Trading the theoretical, the academic for practical, 00:04:16.430 --> 00:04:19.829 intensive craft training. He decided this was 00:04:19.829 --> 00:04:22.750 his path and that formal university wasn't the 00:04:22.750 --> 00:04:24.970 way to get there. That gamble on himself, that 00:04:24.970 --> 00:04:27.850 early commitment to the creative path, despite 00:04:27.850 --> 00:04:30.550 the risks. That's the aha moment. Right. That 00:04:30.550 --> 00:04:32.730 really sets the course for everything that follows. 00:04:32.850 --> 00:04:35.569 It showed a certain kind of determination. So 00:04:35.569 --> 00:04:38.689 he makes this big bet on acting and lands on 00:04:38.689 --> 00:04:41.069 Nick at night. Yeah, it's maybe not what you'd 00:04:41.069 --> 00:04:43.750 predict, right? His first big acting gig was 00:04:43.750 --> 00:04:47.870 Sea Dad Run. With Scott Bio. Ran for, what, 45 00:04:47.870 --> 00:04:51.509 episodes? 2012 to 2014, he played Kevin Costner. 00:04:51.629 --> 00:04:53.610 Which on the surface seems like, you know, pretty 00:04:53.610 --> 00:04:56.910 standard family sitcom stuff. Mainstream. But 00:04:56.910 --> 00:04:58.569 here's the crucial part the sources highlight. 00:04:58.990 --> 00:05:01.170 He wasn't just showing up for his scenes. No, 00:05:01.269 --> 00:05:04.290 he was using it as like a grad school. He shattered 00:05:04.290 --> 00:05:06.149 the writer's room. That's smart, learning how 00:05:06.149 --> 00:05:08.810 TV gets made from the inside. Absolutely. Story 00:05:08.810 --> 00:05:11.069 structure, running a room, joke writing, the 00:05:11.069 --> 00:05:13.350 whole machinery, he soaked it all up. So even 00:05:13.350 --> 00:05:15.629 in that conventional setting, he was preparing 00:05:15.629 --> 00:05:17.970 for his own show, basically. You have to think 00:05:17.970 --> 00:05:20.910 so. He knew he needed to master the form before 00:05:20.910 --> 00:05:23.709 he could break it or, you know, reshape it for 00:05:23.709 --> 00:05:26.209 his own stories. And then we see his own voice 00:05:26.209 --> 00:05:28.750 emerge more clearly in stand -up. Yeah, building 00:05:28.750 --> 00:05:31.730 that craft, honing his perspective, which leads 00:05:31.730 --> 00:05:34.670 to that 2017 spot on The Late Show with Stephen 00:05:34.670 --> 00:05:37.389 Colbert. That feels like a key moment, presenting 00:05:37.389 --> 00:05:40.509 his kind of comedy personal, maybe a bit edgy, 00:05:40.589 --> 00:05:43.209 deeply rooted in his identity on a major platform. 00:05:43.449 --> 00:05:46.089 It really set the stage perfectly for what came 00:05:46.089 --> 00:05:48.629 next. It showed the industry what he could do, 00:05:48.790 --> 00:05:51.250 what his unique perspective was. Which was, of 00:05:51.250 --> 00:05:55.100 course. Rami. Rami. Premieres on Hulu April 2019. 00:05:55.540 --> 00:05:58.040 And this is it. He's not just the star, Rami 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:01.079 Hassan. He's the creator, the writer, director, 00:06:01.459 --> 00:06:04.259 executive producer. He's got his hands on everything. 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:07.000 That control was vital because the show was doing 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:09.540 something really new. TV's first Muslim American 00:06:09.540 --> 00:06:12.199 sitcom, it was called. But it was more than just 00:06:12.199 --> 00:06:14.800 representation, wasn't it? Oh, much more. It 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:17.120 was about the struggle, the messiness of being 00:06:17.120 --> 00:06:20.259 a millennial, first -gen American Muslim trying 00:06:20.259 --> 00:06:24.189 to figure out. Faith, dating, family, purpose, 00:06:24.610 --> 00:06:27.250 all of it. It didn't shy away from the awkward 00:06:27.250 --> 00:06:29.529 stuff, the contradictions. Not at all. Spiritual 00:06:29.529 --> 00:06:32.410 doubt, sex, the gap between religious ideals 00:06:32.410 --> 00:06:35.750 and, well, reality. Things you just didn't see 00:06:35.750 --> 00:06:38.110 talked about that openly on American TV, especially 00:06:38.110 --> 00:06:40.629 within that specific cultural context. And look 00:06:40.629 --> 00:06:44.089 at the Emmy nominations he got in 2020 for directing 00:06:44.089 --> 00:06:47.949 Mia Khalifa dot Moff and acting in You Are Naked 00:06:47.949 --> 00:06:50.019 in Front of Your Shake. Right. Those titles alone 00:06:50.019 --> 00:06:51.480 tell you something. Yeah, they're not playing 00:06:51.480 --> 00:06:54.720 it safe. Mia Khalifa .mog deals with, like, online 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:58.060 culture, guilt, sin, really thorny territory. 00:06:58.139 --> 00:07:01.339 And You Are Naked is so deeply spiritual about 00:07:01.339 --> 00:07:03.279 his relationship with his shape. Getting nominated 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:05.319 for both acting and directing for episodes like 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:07.420 that. It showed the industry saw him as a complete 00:07:07.420 --> 00:07:10.079 filmmaker, a leader with a distinct vision, not 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:11.560 just the guy in front of the camera. And the 00:07:11.560 --> 00:07:13.939 awards followed. The Golden Globes win in 2020. 00:07:14.259 --> 00:07:18.100 That felt huge. Massive. Best actor in a TV series, 00:07:18.259 --> 00:07:21.759 musical or comedy. He beat some big names. Nominated 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:25.420 again in 2021. That really put the show and him 00:07:25.420 --> 00:07:28.360 on the map in a major way. Definitely. And the 00:07:28.360 --> 00:07:30.740 Peabody Award in 2022. That signals cultural 00:07:30.740 --> 00:07:32.899 significance, not just laughs. It recognizes 00:07:32.899 --> 00:07:34.819 storytelling that matter. All while he's still 00:07:34.819 --> 00:07:37.220 doing stand -up. Right. Maintaining that parallel 00:07:37.220 --> 00:07:41.259 track. Romy Youssef. Feelings on HBO in 2019 00:07:41.259 --> 00:07:44.639 than more feelings in 2024. Why do you think 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:46.680 keeping the stand -up going was important, even 00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:48.899 with the show's success? Well, it's his roots, 00:07:48.980 --> 00:07:51.240 isn't it? It's direct, unfiltered, lets some 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:53.259 test ideas connect with the audience instantly, 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:55.939 keeps that core perspective sharp, I think, before 00:07:55.939 --> 00:07:57.839 it goes through the whole TV production machine. 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:01.120 Hashtag Tag by V, the production empire and creative 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:04.060 diversification. Okay, so Rami hits, gets critical 00:08:04.060 --> 00:08:06.540 acclaim, wins awards. What happens next feels 00:08:06.540 --> 00:08:08.480 like a very deliberate shift. He starts building, 00:08:08.680 --> 00:08:10.819 well, an empire. Yeah, moving from a performer 00:08:10.819 --> 00:08:13.589 -creator to, like, a genuine industry. player, 00:08:13.829 --> 00:08:16.290 leveraging the success of Rami. And the first 00:08:16.290 --> 00:08:18.730 big move, according to the sources, is that A24 00:08:18.730 --> 00:08:22.449 deal, December 2019. That's a significant partnership. 00:08:22.910 --> 00:08:25.769 A24 isn't just any production company. Right. 00:08:25.870 --> 00:08:28.829 What's the signing with A24 signal? Why them? 00:08:29.290 --> 00:08:32.230 A24 has that reputation, you know, for backing 00:08:32.230 --> 00:08:35.529 unique, director -driven projects. They value 00:08:35.529 --> 00:08:38.029 the auteur's voice. So it suggests he wanted 00:08:38.029 --> 00:08:40.690 to protect his creative freedom, keep that specific, 00:08:40.889 --> 00:08:44.720 maybe slightly risky edge. Exactly. Partnering 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:47.299 with A24 was like a guarantee that his future 00:08:47.299 --> 00:08:49.740 projects wouldn't get watered down for mass appeal. 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:52.120 It allowed him to develop stuff for Apple TV 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:55.100 plus state for Netflix under their wing, maintaining 00:08:55.100 --> 00:08:58.340 that Yusuf brand, if you will. And that Netflix 00:08:58.340 --> 00:09:01.200 relationship has obviously grown. hugely august 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:04.080 2024 the announcement comes a dedicated partnership 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:07.240 with netflix developing serialized projects first 00:09:07.240 --> 00:09:09.440 look deal through his own production company 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:12.700 cairo cowboy cairo cowboy it's a great name isn't 00:09:12.700 --> 00:09:14.759 it it really is what do you make of it well it 00:09:14.759 --> 00:09:16.960 perfectly captures that blend right cairo the 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:19.940 roots the history the egyptian heritage cowboy 00:09:19.940 --> 00:09:22.379 the american individualism the frontier spirit 00:09:22.379 --> 00:09:25.100 maybe the risk taking of showbiz yeah it's his 00:09:25.100 --> 00:09:28.059 whole identity in two words his brand totally 00:09:28.059 --> 00:09:30.860 and what's really impressive is how he uses this 00:09:30.860 --> 00:09:34.000 platform, not just for himself, but to lift others 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:36.600 up. You mean Mo? Yeah, the show Mo on Netflix. 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:39.600 Yeah. Co -created with Mo Amer, started in 2022, 00:09:40.039 --> 00:09:43.039 ran through 2025. Which tells a Palestinian -American 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:45.860 story set in Houston. Right, so he's using the 00:09:45.860 --> 00:09:49.399 Rami template, that blend of... Comedy, drama, 00:09:49.639 --> 00:09:52.659 specific cultural identity, but applying it to 00:09:52.659 --> 00:09:54.539 a different narrative, helping another voice 00:09:54.539 --> 00:09:57.220 breakthrough. And Mo also got major recognition, 00:09:57.460 --> 00:10:01.000 another Peabody Award in 2023. Which just validates 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:03.399 the whole approach. It shows his ability to mentor, 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:06.500 to produce significant work beyond his own starring 00:10:06.500 --> 00:10:08.879 vehicle. He's diversifying formats, too, not 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:11.879 just live action. Animation. Hashtag OneHappyFamilyUSA 00:10:11.879 --> 00:10:14.960 for Amazon Prime Video starting 2025. He co -created 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:17.440 it, voices two characters, building a whole media 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:19.720 company. But it's not all about his own company 00:10:19.720 --> 00:10:21.840 or projects he creates, is it? He's also stepping 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:23.940 outside that. And getting major validation for 00:10:23.940 --> 00:10:26.399 it. Directing that episode of The Bear. Honeydew. 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:30.019 Season 2, 2023. That show is massive and very 00:10:30.019 --> 00:10:32.820 stylistically specific. And critically adored. 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:35.379 Directing an episode like Honeydew, which is 00:10:35.379 --> 00:10:38.570 a real standout. That's a huge test of technical 00:10:38.570 --> 00:10:40.629 skill. How was that received? The sources mention 00:10:40.629 --> 00:10:43.389 nominations. Oh, yeah. Emmy and Directors Guild 00:10:43.389 --> 00:10:45.870 Award nominations for outstanding directing in 00:10:45.870 --> 00:10:48.909 2024. It proved he could step into a different 00:10:48.909 --> 00:10:51.210 established world, the bear's world, and deliver 00:10:51.210 --> 00:10:53.529 at the highest level. It wasn't just about telling 00:10:53.529 --> 00:10:57.019 his own story. And then feature films. Big ones. 00:10:57.100 --> 00:11:00.580 His first major movie role, Max McCandles in 00:11:00.580 --> 00:11:03.620 Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos' film. Which is 00:11:03.620 --> 00:11:05.539 about as artistically distinct as you can get. 00:11:05.740 --> 00:11:08.919 Right. And in the same year, 2023, he's also 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:12.600 voicing Safi in Disney's Wish. Wow. So 824 deals, 00:11:12.740 --> 00:11:15.139 Lanthimos, Disney. That's quite a range. It shows 00:11:15.139 --> 00:11:18.019 incredible crossover appeal. He's accepted across 00:11:18.019 --> 00:11:20.519 the whole spectrum from indie darling to mainstream 00:11:20.519 --> 00:11:23.700 animation. And maybe the ultimate symbol of arriving 00:11:23.700 --> 00:11:26.000 in that mainstream conversation. Has to be hosting 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:29.879 SNL. Saturday Night Live, March 30, 2024. Yeah. 00:11:30.519 --> 00:11:32.899 That's still a huge cultural benchmark in the 00:11:32.899 --> 00:11:35.559 U .S. It confirms your voice is resonating widely. 00:11:35.740 --> 00:11:39.120 From Rutherford, New Jersey to Studio 8H. Pretty 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:42.179 amazing. Hashtag tag V. Personal context and 00:11:42.179 --> 00:11:44.779 public advocacy. Okay, let's shift gears slightly. 00:11:45.340 --> 00:11:47.980 We need to talk about his personal life, which 00:11:47.980 --> 00:11:50.360 the sources note he keeps pretty guarded, and 00:11:50.360 --> 00:11:52.059 how that intersects with his public advocacy. 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:53.919 Right, there's a definite boundary there. We 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:56.919 know he got married in 2022. To a visual artist 00:11:56.919 --> 00:11:59.919 from Saudi Arabia, and they met through May Kalamawi, 00:12:00.059 --> 00:12:03.639 his Romy co -star. Yeah, but beyond that, he's 00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:05.860 chosen to keep her identity and their life very 00:12:05.860 --> 00:12:08.429 private. No names, no details shared publicly. 00:12:08.690 --> 00:12:11.049 Which makes his decisions about when and how 00:12:11.049 --> 00:12:14.009 to use his public voice even more striking, especially 00:12:14.009 --> 00:12:16.669 on really charged issues. That's the tension, 00:12:16.769 --> 00:12:18.889 isn't it? This private person making very public 00:12:18.889 --> 00:12:21.309 statements. The sources show a clear pattern, 00:12:21.429 --> 00:12:24.750 especially from late 2023 into 2024, using his 00:12:24.750 --> 00:12:26.929 platform around the conflict in Gaza. It started 00:12:26.929 --> 00:12:28.610 with this tour, right? The More Feelings tour. 00:12:28.809 --> 00:12:31.450 Yeah. The last 12 nights, the proceeds were specifically 00:12:31.450 --> 00:12:34.539 earmarked for Gaza relief. Through Anera. American 00:12:34.539 --> 00:12:36.620 Near East Refugee Aid. And it's worth noting, 00:12:36.740 --> 00:12:40.139 ANARA is non -political, non -religious. It focuses 00:12:40.139 --> 00:12:43.279 on humanitarian aid, health, education, economic 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:46.620 development. So the choice of partner suggests 00:12:46.620 --> 00:12:49.259 a focus on direct relief. And then there was 00:12:49.259 --> 00:12:53.620 that one show, December 8th, 2023, at BAM in 00:12:53.620 --> 00:12:56.440 Brooklyn. That made huge waves. Because of who 00:12:56.440 --> 00:12:59.799 attended? Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez. Suddenly, 00:12:59.860 --> 00:13:02.100 a fundraising comedy show in Brooklyn is international 00:13:02.100 --> 00:13:04.460 news. The amplification effect must have been 00:13:04.460 --> 00:13:06.759 massive. Absolutely. It brought incredible visibility 00:13:06.759 --> 00:13:09.200 to the cause, far beyond just the audience in 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:11.519 the room. He also participated in Collective 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:15.139 Actions, that open letter in October 2023. Right. 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:18.759 Signed along with, I think it was 55 other artists 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:21.100 and advocates, calling on President Biden for 00:13:21.100 --> 00:13:23.700 a ceasefire and release of hostages, using that 00:13:23.700 --> 00:13:25.620 combined celebrity influence. And he carried 00:13:25.620 --> 00:13:27.860 that message onto red carpets too. The artists 00:13:27.860 --> 00:13:31.100 for Ceasefire pin at the Oscars in 2024. A quiet 00:13:31.100 --> 00:13:33.860 symbol, but on that huge global stage, very deliberate. 00:13:34.059 --> 00:13:36.620 And then the SNL monologue, his biggest platform 00:13:36.620 --> 00:13:39.519 yet, arguably. Yeah. And during that monologue, 00:13:39.580 --> 00:13:43.320 March 30, 2024, he included a prayer. The source 00:13:43.320 --> 00:13:45.320 is quoted directly. And just to be clear, we're 00:13:45.320 --> 00:13:47.740 reporting this impartially. Of course. He said, 00:13:47.879 --> 00:13:50.700 please free the people of Palestine and please 00:13:50.700 --> 00:13:53.460 free the hostages. It's notable how often the 00:13:53.460 --> 00:13:55.940 sources point to that kind of balanced language 00:13:55.940 --> 00:13:58.399 in his public statements on this, acknowledging 00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:01.519 suffering on multiple sides, focusing on humanitarian 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:05.179 pleas. It seems like a conscious effort to navigate 00:14:05.179 --> 00:14:07.399 that incredibly difficult line, speaking truth 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:10.340 to power, advocating clearly, but doing so in 00:14:10.340 --> 00:14:12.519 a way that tries to reach a very broad, diverse 00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:15.019 American audience. And it's not an abstract issue 00:14:15.019 --> 00:14:17.100 for him either. The sources mention his connection 00:14:17.100 --> 00:14:19.759 to Palestine goes back. Right. He performed stand 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:22.639 -up there in 2014, filmed parts of Rami season 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:25.200 three there. It's a place he has a personal and 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:26.980 artistic connection to, not just a headline. 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:29.980 Hashtag tape, hashtag six. Conclusion and final 00:14:29.980 --> 00:14:32.220 thought. So wrapping this all up, it's been quite 00:14:32.220 --> 00:14:35.000 a journey to trace. This deep dive really highlights 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:38.100 that incredibly fast rise. Yeah, from that pivotal 00:14:38.100 --> 00:14:40.019 moment of dropping out of college. Leaving the 00:14:40.019 --> 00:14:42.490 safe economics degree behind. To winning a Golden 00:14:42.490 --> 00:14:44.809 Globe just a few years later and then not just 00:14:44.809 --> 00:14:47.070 stopping there, but strategically building this 00:14:47.070 --> 00:14:50.190 whole creative ecosystem. The A24 deal, the Netflix 00:14:50.190 --> 00:14:53.570 partnership, Cairo Cowboy, mentoring other creators 00:14:53.570 --> 00:14:56.549 like Moe Amer, directing acclaimed TV like The 00:14:56.549 --> 00:14:59.149 Bear, moving into film. And throughout it all, 00:14:59.190 --> 00:15:01.370 using that platform for the art, obviously, but 00:15:01.370 --> 00:15:03.710 also very consciously for public advocacy on 00:15:03.710 --> 00:15:06.350 issues he clearly cares deeply about. And that 00:15:06.350 --> 00:15:08.190 Rutgers story comes full circle, doesn't it? 00:15:08.409 --> 00:15:10.830 It really does. Left before graduating to chase 00:15:10.830 --> 00:15:13.830 the acting dream. And then in 2025, he's back, 00:15:13.909 --> 00:15:16.190 giving the commencement speech and receiving 00:15:16.190 --> 00:15:18.730 an honorary Dr. Fine Arts degree from them. It's 00:15:18.730 --> 00:15:21.529 such a powerful symbol of validation that taking 00:15:21.529 --> 00:15:23.389 that risk, following that un -dimensional path, 00:15:23.669 --> 00:15:26.309 was absolutely the right move for him. A testament 00:15:26.309 --> 00:15:29.490 to his vision and persistence. Okay, so for our 00:15:29.490 --> 00:15:31.669 final thought, something for you, the listener, 00:15:31.830 --> 00:15:34.669 to chew on after this deep dive. Consider the 00:15:34.669 --> 00:15:38.149 position Rami Youssef occupies now. filming major 00:15:38.149 --> 00:15:40.929 projects for huge companies like Netflix, A24. 00:15:41.129 --> 00:15:43.470 He has to appeal to, you know, a broad audience. 00:15:43.850 --> 00:15:46.950 Right. But his entire brand, his breakthrough, 00:15:47.149 --> 00:15:50.649 was built on being incredibly specific, personal, 00:15:50.769 --> 00:15:54.000 sometimes provocative. tackling difficult questions 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:58.139 about faith, identity, politics, head on in his 00:15:58.139 --> 00:16:01.179 comedy. So the question is, can you maintain 00:16:01.179 --> 00:16:04.039 that sharp edge, that deeply personal, maybe 00:16:04.039 --> 00:16:06.659 even challenging voice that made you revolutionary 00:16:06.659 --> 00:16:09.100 in the first place? While operating at the very 00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:12.080 top tier of the Hollywood machine. Does the scale 00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:14.279 required for that kind of success inevitably 00:16:14.279 --> 00:16:17.019 sand down the original, rougher, more challenging 00:16:17.019 --> 00:16:19.240 parts of the art? Or can he find a way to keep 00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:21.960 both? to be both an insider powerhouse and an 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:24.659 outsider voice pushing boundaries. What does 00:16:24.659 --> 00:16:26.700 his career tell us about the future for other 00:16:26.700 --> 00:16:29.159 creators trying to tell nuanced, identity -rich 00:16:29.159 --> 00:16:31.519 stories in the mainstream? That's the ongoing 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:34.240 tension, the balancing act to watch. It's a fascinating 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:36.159 question. Absolutely. Thank you for diving deep 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:36.720 with us today.