Mena Massoud
Mena Massoud | |
---|---|
مینا مسعود | |
Born | [1] Cairo, Egypt | September 17, 1991
Nationality | Egyptian-Canadian |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 2011–present |
Notable work | Aladdin (2019 film) |
Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
Awards | Full list |
Mena Massoud (Arabic: مينا مسعود; born 17 September 1991) is an Egyptian-Canadian actor[3] who is known for starring as the titular character in the Disney fantasy film Aladdin (2019). He also starred as Jared Malik in the Canadian-drama series Open Heart (2015), Tarek Kassar in the Amazon Prime series Jack Ryan (2018), and currently stars as Ethan Hart in the Hulu series Reprisal (2019).
Early life
Massoud was born in Cairo, Egypt to Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christian parents. He has two older sisters.[4] He and his family immigrated to Canada when he was three years old.[5] Massoud stated, "we're Coptic Christian. And my parents just felt like things were getting a little too dangerous when I was growing up. And they wanted to create a better life for their family. So they decided to immigrate."[6] Massoud grew up in Markham, Ontario,[1] where he attended St. Brother André Catholic High School.[6][7] He is a vegan.[8]
Massoud is a huge admirer of Egyptian comedy movies, in an interview with the BBC, he stated how his Egyptian heritage has inspired him as a comedian, stating: "I grew up watching Egyptian comedy films by the great Egyptian comedians such as Ismail Yassine and Adel Emam. The way they entertain the audience with not only their words but with their body language and facial expressions is totally different from that of the actors here. I played a lot of comedy roles in American productions. My role in Aladdin is also a comedy role. I believe I play comedy roles with a different taste that I learned from our own Egyptian cinema and this makes it appealing in a different way".[9]
Career
Massoud began acting in 2011, guest appearing on the television series Nikita and Combat Hospital.[10] In 2015, he was cast as Jared Malik in the Canadian-drama series Open Heart, which was cancelled after one season. In 2017, he starred as Ollie Santos in the film Ordinary Days.[11] In 2018, he had a recurring role as Tarek Kassar in the Amazon Prime original series Jack Ryan.
In 2019, Massoud portrayed the titular character in Disney's fantasy-adventure film Aladdin, which is the live-action adaption of the animated film of the same name.[1] For his performance, he received a Teen Choice Award nomination.[12] In the same year, he was cast in the main role of Ethan Hart in the Hulu original series Reprisal.[13] Also in 2019, he appeared as Chaz in the thriller film Strange but True, and starred as Kamal in the drama film Run This Town.[14]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2015 | Let's Rap | John |
2017 | Ordinary Days | Ollie Santos |
2019 | Aladdin | Aladdin |
2019 | Strange but True | Chaz |
2020 | Run This Town | Kamal |
2020 | Lamya's Poem | Rumi (voice) |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Nikita | Al Qaeda No. 2 | 1 episode |
2011 | Poser | Bretten Thomason | Recurring role, 6 episodes |
2011 | Combat Hospital | Salman Zawab | 1 episode |
2011 | The 99 | Hafiz the Preserver / Dave / Saad | Main voice role |
2012 | Cut to the Chase | Jason | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
2012 | King | Malik Atassi | 1 episode |
2015 | Open Heart | Jared Malik | Main role |
2017 | Saving Hope | Justin Srinivasan | 1 episode |
2018 | Jack Ryan | Tarek Kassar | Recurring role (season 1) |
2019 | Reprisal | Ethan Hart | Main role |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Watch Dogs 2 | Various voices | Voice role |
Awards and nominations
Year | Awards | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy Movie Actor | Aladdin | Nominated | [12] |
GQ Men of the Year Awards | Breakthrough Talent | Himself | Won | [15] | |
National Film & TV Awards | Best Actor | Aladdin | Nominated | [16] | |
Best Newcomer | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b c d "7 Things You Need to Know About Aladdin's Mena Massoud". E!. July 15, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
- ^ "Who is Aladdin's breakout Egyptian star Mena Massoud". Retrieved April 27, 2020.
According to the star's Instagram, he spends his time between Toronto and Los Angeles.
- ^ Omar, Eslam (May 29, 2019). "Aladdin's Egyptian actor Mena Massoud under fire over interview with Israeli outlet". Ahram Online. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ "Mena Massoud on the making of 'Aladdin', starring opposite Will Smith", ABC News, May 24, 2019, retrieved June 25, 2019
- ^ "Aladdin Breakout Star Mena Massoud: 'People Who Look Like Me Struggle to Get Roles'". People. May 24, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
- ^ a b "Mena Massoud On Being 'Aladdin'", NPR, May 26, 2019, retrieved July 1, 2019
- ^ "'I followed my dream': Canadian Aladdin star Mena Massoud's magic carpet ride to stardom", CBC News, May 24, 2019, retrieved June 25, 2019
- ^ "Disney's Vegan 'Aladdin' Actor Mena Massoud Launches Plant-Based Food Travel Show 'Evolving Vegan'", LIVEKINDLY, October 8, 2018, retrieved June 25, 2019
- ^ A present-day Aladdin: Mena Massoud, a new Egyptian star in international cinema
- ^ "Who is Mena Massoud? Meet Disney's new Aladdin". Entertainment Weekly. July 15, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ Barrett, Brandon. "Ordinary Days, three different ways at WFF Dec. 2". Pique. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ a b Moreau, Jordan (June 19, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame,' 'Riverdale,' 'Aladdin' Top 2019 Teen Choice Award Nominations". Variety. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
- ^ Petski, Denise (August 8, 2018). "Mena Massoud Joins Hulu's Femme Fatale Pilot 'Reprisal' From Warren Littlefield & A+E Studios". Deadline. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (March 26, 2018). "Ben Platt, Nina Dobrev, Mena Massoud & Damian Lewis To Star In 'Run This Town'". Deadline. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ "Mena Massoud is GQ's Breakthrough Talent". GQ. October 6, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ Wakeling, Naomi (October 21, 2019). "Nominations for the 2nd annual National Film & TV Awards are announced". National Film Academy. Archived from the original on October 22, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
External links
- Mena Massoud at IMDb
- Mena Massoud on Twitter
- 1991 births
- 21st-century Canadian male actors
- Canadian Christians
- Canadian male film actors
- Canadian male television actors
- Canadian male voice actors
- Canadian people of Coptic descent
- Canadian people of Egyptian descent
- Egyptian emigrants to Canada
- Living people
- Male actors from Ontario
- People from Markham, Ontario