Ramy Youssef Bio
Ramy Youssef (born March 26, 1991) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his role as Ramy Hassan on the Hulu comedy series Ramy, a performance that earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy, as well as a Peabody Award in 2020. Youssef’s distinctive storytelling about the experience of being a first-generation Muslim-American has earned him nominations for multiple Primetime Emmy Awards and established him as a significant voice in contemporary comedy.
Beyond acting, Youssef has built a reputation as a writer and producer. He co-created the Netflix series Mo with fellow comedian Mo Amer, and he has continued to develop new projects through his production company, Cairo Cowboy, while touring stand-up comedy across the United States.
Early Life and Background
Ramy Youssef was born on March 26, 1991, in Queens, a borough of New York City, to Egyptian immigrant parents. He was raised in Rutherford, New Jersey, in a Muslim household where his family observed Islamic holidays. Youssef continues to identify as a practicing Muslim. His father emigrated from Egypt and later became a manager at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, approximately ten years after arriving in the United States. Youssef’s maternal grandfather worked as a French and Arabic interpreter at the United Nations, and Youssef himself speaks both Arabic and English.
Youssef attended Rutherford High School in New Jersey, where he and his friend Steve Way appeared on the high school’s television program. In 2023, the school recognized him as its Distinguished Graduate. After high school, he enrolled at Rutgers University–Newark, where he studied political science and economics. He ultimately left the university before graduating to pursue acting training at the William Esper Studio, a decision that set him on the path toward a career in entertainment.
Path to Comedy and Writing
Youssef’s interest in performing took shape during his high school years and was sharpened by his formal training at William Esper Studio. His early immersion in acting and the craft of storytelling gave him the foundation he would later draw on as both a writer and a performer. By the time he began pursuing professional opportunities, he was already combining his comedic voice with a writer’s discipline, an approach that would define his career.
His entry into the entertainment industry came in 2012 with a main role on the Nick at Nite sitcom See Dad Run. During the show’s run, he shadowed the writers’ room, an experience that proved invaluable when he later developed his own series. In 2017, he appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, performing a stand-up routine that helped introduce his comedic perspective to a broader national audience.
Ramy Youssef Career
Early Career (2009–2018)
Ramy Youssef began his professional career in 2009, building his skills through stand-up comedy and on-screen work. His first notable television appearance came in 2012 with a main role on the Nick at Nite sitcom See Dad Run, where he also gained firsthand experience by shadowing the show’s writing staff. This behind-the-scenes exposure to television writing helped shape his approach to crafting his own material and would later influence the development of his own series.
As he continued performing stand-up, Youssef earned a late-night television slot on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2017, where he performed his stand-up routine. The appearance introduced his thoughtful, identity-focused comedy to a wider audience and laid the groundwork for the projects that would soon follow.
Breakthrough (2019–Present)
The Hulu comedy series Ramy, which premiered on April 19, 2019, marked Youssef’s breakthrough as a leading man and a creator. In the show, he plays Ramy Hassan, a millennial first-generation Muslim-American navigating life, faith, and family in the United States. The series was renewed for additional seasons following the success of its first, and Youssef’s performance earned him a Golden Globe Award in January 2020. He was also nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, one for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and another for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.
In June 2019, Youssef starred in his first HBO stand-up comedy special, Ramy Youssef: Feelings, expanding his reach as a performer. He later co-created the Netflix comedy-drama Mo with Mo Amer, which premiered on August 24, 2022. His first major film role came in 2023 with the Yorgos Lanthimos-directed feature Poor Things. He hosted Saturday Night Live on March 30, 2024, and in August 2024, he entered a partnership with Netflix to develop serialized projects through his production company Cairo Cowboy. In 2025, Youssef co-created #1 Happy Family USA with Pam Brady for Amazon Prime Video, and he received an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from Rutgers University, where he also delivered the commencement speech.
Notable Works and Milestones
Youssef’s signature work remains the Hulu series Ramy, which earned him a Golden Globe Award and a Peabody Award in 2020. He has also expanded into film with his role in Poor Things and into producing through Cairo Cowboy, marking him as a multihyphenate talent working across stand-up, television, and film.
Ramy Youssef Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Ramy Youssef has earned multiple award nominations recognizing both his acting and his work behind the camera. He received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the Hulu series Ramy: one for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and another for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2021 for his continued work on Ramy.
Ramy Youssef Awards Won
Ramy Youssef has been honored with several prestigious awards for his work in television. In 2020, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy for his role in Ramy, becoming a recognizable face in the awards circuit almost overnight. That same year, the series Ramy was honored with a Peabody Award, further cementing its cultural impact.
Ramy Youssef Family
Ramy Youssef was raised in a close-knit Egyptian-American household in Rutherford, New Jersey. His parents emigrated from Egypt, and his father eventually became a manager at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Youssef has often spoken about the influence of his family and cultural heritage on his comedy, drawing heavily on his experiences growing up in a Muslim household in New Jersey.
Personal Life
Ramy Youssef has been married to a visual artist from Saudi Arabia since 2022. The two met through May Calamawy, his co-star in Ramy. Youssef is known for keeping his personal life private and has chosen not to disclose further details about his wife publicly. He continues to perform stand-up comedy and develop new television projects while maintaining a relatively low public profile outside of his professional work.