Mena Massoud facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mena Massoud
مینا مسعود
Massoud in 2019
Born	Mena Mansour Massoud (1991-09-17) September 17, 1991 (age 33) Cairo, Egypt
Nationality	Canadian
Alma mater	Ryerson University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2011–present
Signature

Mena Massoud (born September 17, 1991) is an actor from Canada. He was born in Egypt. He first appeared in a movie in 2017. This was a Canadian thriller called Ordinary Days.

Mena became very famous for playing Aladdin in the Disney movie Aladdin (2019). This role earned him nominations for a Teen Choice Award and two National Film & TV Awards. He also acted in TV shows like Open Heart (2015) and Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018). He starred in the Netflix film The Royal Treatment (2022). He also appeared in the horror film The Sacrifice Game (2023). He helped produce this horror film too.

Early Life and Education

Mena Mansour Massoud was born on September 17, 1991. His birthplace was Cairo, Egypt. His parents were Coptic Orthodox Christians. He has two older sisters. They both work in the medical field.

When Mena was three years old, his family moved to Canada. They settled in Toronto. His parents wanted a safer and better life for their family. Mena still feels very connected to his Egyptian culture.

Mena went to St. Brother André Catholic High School. He was the leader of the school's improv team. He first studied neuroscience at the University of Toronto. He thought about becoming a doctor or psychologist. But he decided to try acting instead. He then went to Ryerson University for their theatre program. He finished his studies there in 2014.

Mena Massoud's Acting Career

Mena Massoud started acting in 2011. He had small roles in TV shows like Nikita. His very first role was playing a terrorist. This made him want to choose roles carefully. He wanted to show characters that were not negative because of their background.

In 2015, he played Jared Malik in the TV show Open Heart. In 2017, he starred in the movie Ordinary Days. In 2018, he had a role in the Amazon Prime series Jack Ryan.

Playing Aladdin

In 2019, Mena played the main character in Disney's Aladdin. This was a live-action version of the famous animated movie. The film was very successful. It made over $1 billion worldwide. Mena was nominated for several awards for his role. His portrayal of Aladdin showed a positive Arab character in Hollywood.

After Aladdin, Mena said he didn't get many auditions. But he continued to work. In 2019, he also appeared in the TV series Reprisal. He was also in the films Strange but True and Run This Town.

Recent Projects

In 2021, it was announced Mena would star in an Egyptian film. In 2022, he starred in the Netflix movie The Royal Treatment. He also starred in and helped produce the horror film The Sacrifice Game (2023).

Mena announced in 2023 that he is producing a film called The Last King. It is based on a book by Stephen King. He is also expected to play Aladdin again in a future movie sequel. In 2023, he became the host of Evolving Vegan. This is a Canadian TV show about vegan food. It is based on his own cookbook.

Mena is set to star in the romance drama film Wish You Were Here. It is planned for release in 2025.

Other Activities

In September 2019, Mena became an ambassador for Egypt's Ministry of Migration. He supported their "Speak Egyptian" program. This program helps Egyptians living abroad keep their culture.

Later that year, he started the Ethnically Diverse Artists Foundation. This group helps Canadian artists from different backgrounds. It offers mentors, training, and support. Mena wants to help all artists get fair chances in the industry. He spoke about this at the El Gouna Film Festival in 2019.

In 2022, Mena announced his new gin, Dharma Indian Dry Gin. He created it with Emily Shah and Prashant Shah. He described it as a spirit inspired by ancient Indian health practices.

Artistic Influences

Mena Massoud enjoys Egyptian comedy movies. He says his Egyptian background helps him as a comedian. He learned from famous Egyptian comedians. They used not just words, but also body language and expressions. Mena believes this gives his comedy roles a unique style.

Mena also looks up to actor Robin Williams. He said Robin Williams had a big impact on him. He especially loved Robin Williams' role in Mrs. Doubtfire. Mena thinks that movie is very special.

Personal Life

In 2024, Mena Massoud announced his engagement to actress Emily Shah.

Mena is a vegan. This means he does not eat animal products. He created a cookbook, a TV series, and a community called Evolving Vegan.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Mena Massoud para niños