Mohammed Amer

Mohammed Mustafa Amer (; born July 24, 1981) is a Palestinian-American stand-up comedian and actor. He is known for his Netflix comedy special Mo Amer: The Vagabond and as a member of the comedy trio Allah Made Me Funny. Amer also appeared in the Hulu sitcom Ramy (2019-2022) where he played the character Mo, Ramy's cousin who owns a diner. Additionally, he created and stars in the Netflix series Mo, released in August 2022, which is loosely based on his real life experience as a Palestinian refugee. The same year, he appeared in the film Black Adam. Amer also hosted the 2023 season of Doha Debates' flagship series, filmed in Qatar's Education City.

Early life Mohammed Mustafa Amer is Palestinian and the youngest of six children. His father worked as an engineer for the Kuwait Oil Company. Amer attended a British school in Kuwait, where he learned British English.

At age 9, Amer, with his siblings and mother, fled Kuwait during the Gulf War and immigrated to the United States, settling in Houston, Texas. He was placed in an ESL class despite already being proficient in English.

In 1992, Amer's father, a telecom engineer, joined the family in the United States. Amer attended Piney Point Elementary School. One of his brothers became a pilot, and another earned a PhD in biochemistry. Amer's father died in 1995 when Amer was 14 years old, leading to a period of academic struggles. A teacher later encouraged him to pursue comedy as an outlet for his grief. After his father's death, Amer struggled academically; an English teacher encouraged him to perform a monologue from Shakespeare in exchange for extra credit. This evolved into a regular comedy routine in front of his class, where he would tell jokes about the subject they were studying. Amer refined his comedic skills at Houston's comedy clubs while working at a flag manufacturing company.

Standup In June 1999, Amer participated in Houston's Funniest Person Contest and reached the finals. By age 19, Amer was performing for U.S. troops stationed abroad, becoming one of the first Arab-American refugee comedians to do so. He has also made appearances at the Islamic Relief Evening of Inspiration at the Royal Albert Hall in 2007 and the Global Peace and Unity event in London in 2008.

Amer has since performed in over 27 countries across five continents. His comedy has been featured in sold-out shows worldwide, including venues such as Royal Albert Hall, Hammersmith Apollo, and Shrine Auditorium.

In 2015, Amer began touring with Dave Chappelle and eventually recorded his one-hour special, Legally Homeless, at the Warner Theatre, becoming one of the first Arab-Americans to have a nationally televised stand-up special. The special's title reflects Amer's experiences navigating multiple cultures without a passport. Legally Homeless includes appearances by comedians such as Azhar Usman, Bassem Youssef, Hasan Minhaj, and Ramy Youssef. Amer filmed his first Netflix comedy special, Mo Amer: The Vagabond, which was released in 2018. In 2022, his second Netflix special Mo Amer: Mohammed in Texas was released on Netflix. It has a Rotten Tomatoes audiences score of 96%.

In 2025, Amer participated in the Riyadh Comedy Festival, an event hosted in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. The festival was criticized by Human Rights Watch, which characterized the event as an attempt by the Saudi government to whitewash its human rights abuses.

Film and television In 2018, Amer joined the cast of the Hulu show Ramy. In the series, Amer plays Ramy's cousin Mo, who owns a diner where many of the show's characters gather. Amer has co-written an original feature screenplay with filmmaker Iman Zawahry and Azhar Usman. The show received widespread acclaim and won several awards, including a Peabody Award. It was renewed for a second season. That same year, Amer starred in the DC film Black Adam alongside Dwayne Johnson and was named 2022 UAE GQ Man of the Year.

Season 2 of Mo was released in January 2025, to "widespread acclaim" is one of "Netflix's most celebrated comedies", and was called "Essential Viewing" by Mashable. Both seasons of the show have a 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Comedy style Amer draws from his ethnic and family background to discuss issues related to religion, terrorism, and contemporary politics, using personal stories about his family and himself. family experiences, and growing up in America.

Personal life Amer lives in Los Angeles and is divorced. He has a son.

In 2009, Amer became a U.S. citizen, allowing him to travel to Jordan to visit family he had not seen for almost 20 years.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2021 Americanish Zane 2022 Black Adam Karim 2024 Sweet Dreams Pete

Television Year Title Role Notes 2018 Crashing Himself Episode: "Porter Got HBO" Mo Amer: The Vagabond Himself Netflix Comedy Special 2019–2022 Ramy Mo Main role2021 Mo Amer: Mohammed in Texas Himself Netflix Comedy Special 2022–2025 Mo Mo Najjar Also creator 2025 Mo Amer: Wild World Himself Netflix Comedy Special

Awards and nominations Year Association Category Nominated work Result 2022 Gotham Awards Breakthrough Series — Short Form Mo 2023 Independent Spirit Awards Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series Mo 2023 Peabody Awards Entertainment Mo