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Ramy, the hit breakout series on Hulu, has officially been renewed for a third season. The news comes about five weeks after the debut of Season 2, which premiered on Hulu on May 29th.
Co-created by and starring comedian/actor/writer Ramy Youssef, the show follows Ramy Hassan, a millennial, first-generation, Palestinian-Egyptian Jersey boy who’s trying to figure out who he really is and what life means. Set in New Jersey, the second season focused on his dive further into his spiritual journey, finding a new Islamic community and embracing a deeper commitment to his faith.
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— ramy youssef (@ramy) July 9, 2020
Of course, the show’s success wouldn’t be possible without its amazing cast of supporting characters. Ramy’s family includes his devoted parents, Farouk (Amr Waked) and Maysa (Hiam Abbass), along with sister Dena (May Calamawy), the infamous Uncle Naseem (Laith Nakli), and cousin Amani (Rosaline Elbay). There’s never a dull moment with his friends, Mo (Mo Amer), Steve (Steve Way), and Ahmed (Dave Merheje), all three of whom are also stand-up comedians off-screen. Last but not least is the incredible Sheikh Malik (Mahershala Ali), who steals the show throughout the second season along with his lovely and poised daughter, Zainab (MaameYaa Boafo). Together, these characters and the incredible actors who play them bring Ramy’s chaotic world to life and help move his story along in unexpected, refreshing, and sometimes strange ways.
As is the case with most streaming platforms, Hulu doesn’t release viewing figures for its shows. However, Ramy’s received near-universal critical acclaim for both seasons. In January, Youssef made history with a Golden Globe win for his lead performance, and the series as a whole won a Peabody Award alongside other hit shows such as Watchmen (HBO), Fleabag (Amazon) and Stranger Things (Netflix). The first two seasons of the show hold a combined approval rating of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
In a recent interview with fellow comedian Whitney Cummings on her podcast Good For You, Youssef spoke about the perception of progress and diversity in Hollywood:
“There’s this idea that Hollywood is pushing social change, but social change pushes Hollywood. No one really wanted to green light a show about an Arab Muslim family until Trump said, ‘Here’s a list of countries that people shouldn’t be allowed to come from.’ That’s really when people who are really on the right side of things were like ‘Eh, actually maybe we need to get to know these people a little bit more.’”
Don’t forget to check out our April cover story on the star here if you haven’t already.
READ MORE: Hulu’s ‘Ramy’ Tackles Spirituality And Self-Identity In Its Second Season
CULTURE