Mena Mansour Massoud, born on September 17, 1991, in Cairo, is a Canadian actor of Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christian descent. He is known for his roles in various television series and films, most notably for playing the lead role of Aladdin in Disney's 2019 live-action adaptation. Let's explore his journey and involvement in casting discussions for potential remakes of classic stories, particularly "The Prince of Egypt."
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Mena Mansour Massoud was born in Cairo to Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christian parents, Gorgit and Mansour Massoud. He has two elder sisters, Marian and Margaret, who both work in the medical field. He and his family emigrated to Canada when he was three years old. When asked why his family left Egypt, Massoud stated, "We're Coptic Christian and my parents just felt like things were getting a little too dangerous when I was growing up in Egypt.
Massoud attended St. Brother André Catholic High School, where he was the head of the improv team. He later attended the University of Toronto with a major in neuroscience, in the pursuit of becoming a doctor or psychologist. He did not finish this degree, and instead auditioned for theatre schools. Massoud began acting in 2011, with guest appearances on the television series Nikita and Combat Hospital. His role in Nikita, being his first ever on-screen role, was of a terrorist.
Breakthrough with Aladdin
In 2018, after an extensive worldwide search, Massoud landed the coveted role of Aladdin in Disney's live-action remake, directed by Guy Ritchie. After leading "Aladdin" to the highly coveted $1 Billion Dollar mark at the box office, Massoud went on to star in Netflix's "The Royal Treatment" which became its #1 film worldwide for several weeks in a row in 2022.
Massoud takes inspiration from Robin Williams. In an interview with The Hudsucker, he stated that Robin Williams was the actor who impacted him the most, saying "He was an incredibly well-rounded actor but I grew up on his role in Mrs. Doubtfire. That role by itself is very well-rounded and he goes through an amazing journey in that movie.
Read also: Exploring The Prince of Egypt's Impact
Advocacy and Initiatives
In September 2019, he was appointed an ambassador by Egypt's Ministry of Migration for their new "Speak Egyptian" initiative, with the goal of preserving the Egyptian identity of those living abroad. Later that year, he launched the not-for-profit Ethnically Diverse Artists Foundation to help Canadian artists from underrepresented groups jumpstart their careers through securing mentors, training, headshots and includes support for actors, musicians, and visual artists.
Speaking about his motivation for the EDA Foundation, Massoud stated, "In the industry, artists of color struggle the most. Caucasian artists have really solidified themselves in the industry, and with African Americans now we see directors and producers who vow to only produce work that shines a light on African American artists. But everybody in the middle gets lost." His mission is to make changes in the industry so that roles are cast fairly, despite the color of an artist's skin or their ethnic group. I played a lot of comedy roles in American productions. My role in Aladdin is also a comedy role.
Discussions Around "The Prince of Egypt"
“90’s folks bout to show up and show out!” one user commented. “Omg chills all over my body and soul for this movie! Doesn’t matter what anyone says, Prince of Egypt was the best movie of all time,” another wrote. “Say SIKE right NOW,” a third wrote, to which the original poster replied, wrongly: “Lol no sike at ALL! Don’t worry, these fake posters catch everyone out - just look at the recent hype over John Krasinski’s fake Die Hard remake and Andy Serkis supposedly reprising his role as Smeagol.
There have been speculations that they may be casting Mena Massoud (Aladdin) as Moses. First of all, Massoud is Egyptian, not Jewish. Secondly, and more importantly, he has no where near the level of maturity (in looks, singing, and acting style) to portray Moses. Sign this petition if you love the original Prince of Egypt and want DreamWorks to do it justice in the live action remake!
Mena Massoud is a Coptic Egyptian-Canadian actor. He was born to Coptic parents in Egypt and raised in Canada. In July 2017, he was cast to play Aladdin in Disney's live-action remake of Aladdin.
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While there's excitement about potential casting, it's important to note that as of now, a live-action remake of "The Prince of Egypt" is not officially happening. Rumors and fan castings are circulating, but no official announcements have been made by DreamWorks or any other studio.
| Film/TV Series | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Nikita | Guest Appearance | 2011 |
| Aladdin | Aladdin | 2019 |
| The Royal Treatment | Lead Role | 2022 |
Table summarizing key roles in Mena Massoud's career.
Other Projects
Massoud also had roles in the Canadian drama series Open Heart (2015), the Amazon Prime series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018) and the Hulu series Reprisal (2019). After several years of acting in high-profile television and film projects, Massoud went on to star as "Tarek Kassar" in the highly-anticipated series "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan".
Outside of acting, he's passionate about staying active and healthy. Sports like basketball have always been an important part of his life. During his high-school years, he was a member of the Ontario Basketball Association. He also has a passion for recreational horseback riding and the environment.
The Prince Of Egypt - Live Action Trailer
Read also: "The Prince of Egypt" Streaming Guide
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tags: #Egypt
