Patience is a virtue. In a recent interview with Esquire Middle East, Mohammed “Mo” Amer recounted the origins of his upcoming Netflix comedy series, “Mo.” After sketching out the opening scene, Amer tucked the draft away for seven years. The concept, however, was still in front of his mind. Whenever he spitballed the idea to friends, he was told, “You need to save that. That is amazing. Don’t drop it on a stand-up special. You need to put it in a series.”
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But it would have to wait. Amer soon had his hands full with two Netflix specials (2021’s “Mo Amer: Mohammed in Texas” and 2018’s “Mo Amer: The Vagabond”) and a leading role in both seasons of Hulu’s critically-acclaimed Golden Globe-winner “Ramy.”
It was his collaboration with Ramy Youssef (“Mr. Robot”) on “Ramy” that finally set events in motion. “I was like, you know what, you’re making a show here with A24, and they want to make more. I’ve got an idea; why don’t we do this?” Amer said.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Mo Najjar straddles the line between two cultures, three languages, and a ton of bullshit as a Palestinian refugee constantly living one step away from asylum on the path to U.S. citizenship. His family — including his resilient and spiritual mother, sister and older brother — flee to Houston, Texas. Laughing the pain away, Mo learns to adapt to his new world though getting ahead in life comes with several setbacks.
Rounding out the ensemble cast in this heartfelt comedy is Teresa Ruiz (“Narcos: Mexico”) as Maria, Mo’s strong-willed girlfriend; Omar Elba (“Limetown”) as Sameer, Mo’s cat-loving older brother; Farah Bsieso as Yusra Najjar, the Najjar’s formidable matriarch; and Tobe Nwigwe (soon to be seen in 2023’s “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”) as Nick, Mo’s loyal partner-in-crime.
Directed by Solvan “Slick” Naim (“Snowfall”), “Mo” is executive produced by A24 masterminds Ravi Nandan (“Euphoria”) and Hallie Sekoff, as well as Harris Danow (“Little Fires Everywhere”), and Luvh Rakhe (“Dave”).
The eight-part “Mo” series debuts August 24 on Netflix. Watch the new trailer below.