Mo Amer

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title: "Mo Amer" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["21st-century-american-comedians", "american-comedians-of-asian-descent", "muslims-from-texas", "palestinian-muslims", "palestinian-emigrants-to-the-united-states", "american-stand-up-comedians", "muslim-male-comedians", "male-comedians", "muslim-comedians", "writers-from-los-angeles", "writers-from-houston", "allah-made-me-funny", "1981-births", "living-people", "comedians-from-houston"] description: "Palestinian American comedian" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo_Amer" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Palestinian American comedian ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox comedian"]

Field	Value
name	Mo Amer
image	Mo Amer.jpg
caption	Mo Amer at a comedy show in Ramallah, Palestine in August 2016
pseudonym	Mo, Mohammed Najjar
birth_name	Mohammed Mustafa Amer
native_name	محمد عامر
birth_date
birth_place	Kuwait
medium	{{hlist
active	1999–present
genre	{{hlist
subject	{{hlist
::

| name = Mo Amer | image = Mo Amer.jpg | caption = Mo Amer at a comedy show in Ramallah, Palestine in August 2016 | pseudonym = Mo, Mohammed Najjar | birth_name = Mohammed Mustafa Amer | native_name = محمد عامر | birth_date = | birth_place = Kuwait | death_date = | death_place = | medium = {{hlist | Stand-up | television | film | nationality = | active = 1999–present | genre = {{hlist | Observational comedy | satire | self-deprecation | storytelling | improv | character comedy | subject = {{hlist | Islamic humour | Islamophobia | Political satire | Family | Marriage | Racism | American immigration | Refugees | spouse = | domesticpartner = | notable_work = | signature = | website = | footnotes = | module =

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 for two seasons, where he played the character Mo, Ramy's cousin who owns a diner. Additionally, he starred in the film Black Adam and created and stars in the Netflix series Mo, which is loosely based on his experiences as a Palestinian refugee. The show was released in August 2022. 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.

Career

Beginning of career

When he was 10 years old, Amer attended a Bill Cosby performance at the Houston Astrodome, and four years later, he discovered stand-up comedy at a Texas rodeo. 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. The same English teacher encouraged him to participate in his high school's theater productions and eventually start performing stand-up comedy by impersonating family members. 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. He was then directed to The Comedy Showcase, where the owner, Danny Martinez, mentored him in stand-up comedy. By age 19, Amer was performing for U.S. troops stationed abroad, becoming one of the first Arab-American refugee comedians to do so.

In 2004, he performed at The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas. Starting in 2006, along with Preacher Moss and Azhar Usman, Amer travelled the country for the Allah Made Me Funny tour. 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. He has also appeared on television and radio, including NPR, BBC, and CNN, and has been interviewed by major media outlets like The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian. Amer was also featured on "Al-Bernameg with Bassem Youssef," the Egyptian equivalent of The Daily Show.

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.

In March 2017, Amer made his U.S. network television debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. 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.

In 2022, Amer created, starred in, and directed some episodes of the Netflix series Mo, which is loosely based on his experiences as a Palestinian refugee. 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. He often addresses his Palestinian heritage, 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. He also returned to Kuwait and Baghdad for the first time since his family fled.

In October 2023, Amer signed an open letter for the "Artists4Ceasefire" campaign, along with other artists, urging President Joe Biden to advocate for a ceasefire during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Filmography

Film

::data[format=table]

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

Television

::data[format=table]

Year	Title	Role	Notes	2018	2019–2022	2021	2022–2025
Crashing	Himself	Episode: "Porter Got HBO"
Mo Amer: The Vagabond	Himself	Netflix Comedy Special
Ramy	Mo	Main role
Mo Amer: Mohammed in Texas	Himself	Netflix Comedy Special
Mo	Mo Najjar	Also creator
::

Awards and nominations

::data[format=table]

Year	Association	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref.
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
::

References

References

1. (19 January 2023). "Netflix Star Mo Amer to host new Doha Debates Programme". Doha News.
2. Donadoni, Serena. (2008). "Comedy With a Mission". The Cinema Girl.
3. (April 29, 2015). "Arab-American comedian breaks down stereotypes". [[The Washington Times]].
4. Khan, Yasmeen. (March 27, 2009). "Mo Amer: an Arab-American standup in Texas". [[The Guardian]].
5. Bahmani, Al. (December 31, 2012). "Mo Amer: Comic Ambassador". Comedy Scene in Houston.
6. Judell, Brandon. (October 4, 2008). "Getting Jocular with Muslims". Spiritual Practice.
7. (August 1, 2015). "Arab-American comedian breaks down stereotypes". CBS News.
8. (August 2, 2015). "Arab-American comedian breaks down stereotypes". Observer Chronicle.
9. "Biography". Legally Homeless :: Trials of a Refugee.
10. "Mo Amer". Rooftop Comedy.
11. "Comedian-Mo-Amer". Neon Entertainment.
12. (October 2008). "Performers". Global Peace and Unity Event 2008.
13. (April 2012). "Mo Amer". Campus Activities Magazine.
14. "Biography". MuslimFest.
15. "Performers". Allah Made Me Funny.
16. (February 26, 2007). "Evening of Inspiration 2007 Flyer". Islamic Relief.
17. "News Concert Schedule 2006–07". Awakening Entertainment.
18. "Biography". Mo Amer's Official Website.
19. (July 21, 2015). "MOCAfest Alumni Spotlight: Comedian Mo Amer". Aquila Style.
20. (August 2, 2015). "US Comedian: Prophet Had Great Sense of Humor". OnIslam.
21. Barnes, Steve. (October 4, 2015). "Review: Dave Chappelle @ Palace Theatre, 10/4/15". [[Times Union (Albany).
22. (April 3, 2015). "Palestinian-American Comic Mo Amer to Bring LEGALLY HOMELESS to D.C., 5/3".
23. (March 3, 2017). "UPCOMING GUESTS ON "THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT," 3/3-3/10". CBS Press Express.
24. "MO AMER on Twitter". Twitter.
25. "Mo Amer: The Vagabond".
26. "Mo Amer: Mohammed in Texas {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes".
27. (2025-09-25). "All Your Favorite Sellouts Will Be At The Riyadh Comedy Festival {{!}} Defector".
28. (2025-09-25). "Riyadh Comedy Festival: Mo Amer and Jack Whitehall join the list".
29. DeFrank, Daren. (2025-09-27). "Riyadh Comedy Festival Draws Fire Over Human Rights Watch Condemnation, Pete Davidson and Bill Burr Set to Perform".
30. (2025-09-23). "Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Comedy Festival Whitewashes Abuses {{!}} Human Rights Watch".
31. "Mohammed Amer's new series explores the tragedy and comedy in the refugee experience".
32. (December 4, 2024). "'Mo' Season 2 (Final Season) Will Debut on Netflix in January 2025".
33. "Mo Amer {{!}} Speaking Fee, Booking Agent, & Contact Info {{!}} CAA Speakers".
34. Connellan, Shannon. (2025-01-30). "'Mo' Season 2 review: Here's why it's still one of TV's most important shows".
35. Garcia, Bella. (2025-02-03). "A Netflix Comedy Series Just Achieved A Rare Rotten Tomatoes Feat With Its Second Season".
36. Garcia, Bella. (2025-02-03). "A Netflix Comedy Series Just Achieved A Rare Rotten Tomatoes Feat With Its Second Season".
37. "Film Review: Allah Made Me Funny: Live in Concert". Spiritual Practice.
38. Fry, Ted. (October 3, 2008). ""Allah Made Me Funny": Stand-ups riff on being Muslim in America". [[The Seattle Times]].
39. (March 25, 2010). "Mohammed "Mo" Amer @ Laff spot". Mohammed Amer.
40. Allen, Joseph. (2022-08-23). "Mo Amer Got Divorced During the Pandemic, and Now He's Opening Up About It".
41. Veltman, Chloe. (October 21, 2023). "Entertainment industry A-listers sign a letter to Biden urging a cease-fire in Gaza". [[NPR]].
42. (November 28, 2022). "'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Wins Best Feature at Gotham Awards". Variety.
43. (December 13, 2022). "Film Independent Spirit Award TV Nominations: 'Abbott Elementary,' 'The Bear,' 'Severance,' 'Station Eleven' Lead". The Hollywood Reporter.
44. (May 9, 2023). "Peabody Awards: 'Abbott Elementary,' 'Andor,' 'Severance' and 'We're Here' Among Winners". The Hollywood Reporter.

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