The 2020 Emmy nominations were announced Tuesday morning and Ramy scored three nominations, becoming the first Muslim American sitcom to be represented at the award show.
What We Know:
- Co-creator and star Ramy Youssef received two nominations: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali also represents the show with a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Ramy was recognized at the 2020 Golden Globes in January when Youssef won the award for best actor in a comedy series.
- The Hulu original follows Egyptian American Ramy Hassan, played by Youssef, as he navigates his life as an American millennial while trying to understand his faith and cultural identity. The show premiered in April 2019 and was praised for telling a narrative from a Muslim American perspective when much of Western media marginalizes or demonizes Muslims. Hulu released the second season in May, where Ali plays Ramy’s new sheikh.
- The show has found a wide and diverse audience thanks to its seemingly ordinary and relatable storylines. The show dives into Ramy’s romantic failures, overbearing immigrant parents, and career struggles. There are even several episodes which don’t even feature Ramy, instead choosing to follow the experiences of his family members. The season one episode, “Refugees”, follows Ramy’s sister Dena, played by May Calamawy, exploring just how different her experience is from her brother’s, living in the world as a young woman of color.
- Youssef spoke with The Hollywood Reporter following his Emmy nominations. “I think that you watch our show, you realize in a good way that we’re not even close to covering the entirety of the Muslim experience. For a show that only portrays a sliver of it to get recognized, I think that that should mean that we’re going to get many more Muslim stories greenlit,” he said. He added, “There’s so many more stories that could be told so it excites me for the bigger picture, one that doesn’t even include me.”
Good news for fans of the show: Hulu renewed Ramy for a third season earlier this month.
