Ep225 - Ramy Youssef, Creator-Star of Hulu’s ‘Ramy’ & HBO Comedy Special ‘Feelings’

Ramy Youssef has always been a creative person. The New Jersey native didn’t see showbusiness as an achievable goal, but an underlying passion directed him to create more and more, eventually encouraging him to edit, to act, and to write. Eventually, Ramy moved to Los Angeles, where he landed roles on shows like See Dad Run and Mr. Robot, along with a small role in the James Franco-Bryan Cranston holiday comedy, Why Him? Fast forward to 2019 and Ramy Youssef landed a special with HBO called Feelings and a series on Hulu, where he plays a fictionalized version similar to himself in Ramy. The new series is described as: “In New Jersey, Ramy, son of Egyptian migrants, begins a spiritual journey, divided between his Muslim community, God, and his friends who see endless possibilities.” In this interview, Ramy discusses writing personal material, the pressure cooker of creating earnest Muslim material, the difference in stand-up and writing a series, his obsession with ego and faith, and how comics should spend their free time during the quarantine. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5