Golden Globes 2020: Ramy Youssef Says Allahu Akbar in Acceptance Speech

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Ramy Youssef was the first winner at Sunday’s 77th Golden Globe Awards, but he became an early contender for best speech of the night when he delivered a charming, sweet message and a religious statement that celebrated his Muslim faith.

Youssef, who is a first-generation Egyptian-American comedian, actor, and writer, won the award for Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy for his Hulu series Ramy. “I would like to thank my God, Allahu akbar, and Hulu,” he said in his acceptance speech. “I know you guys haven’t seen my show. Everyone is like, ‘Is this an editor?'”

He added, “We made a very special show about an Arab Muslim family living in New Jersey, and this means a lot, to be recognized on this level.”

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Of course, celebrities thanking God on stage during an awards show is a pretty common occurrence; host Ricky Gervais even joked about it in his opening monologue, during which he told celebrities not to lecture about their pet causes: “Thank your agent and your God, and then get the f— off the stage.” But Youssef clarified his thanks with the words “Allahu akbar,” which translates to “God is great” in Arabic.

Backstage at the Globes, Youssef told TV Guide that his comment was meant sincerely, not just as a response to Gervais’ comments. “It means a lot to me,” Youssef said. “It’s a part of the DNA of the show. If you’ve seen the show, you see that.”

Youssef grew up in a Muslim household and still practices Islam — a subject he addresses in his show. In Ramy, the actor plays a loosely autobiographical version of himself: a young man named Ramy Hassan who’s trying to balance being a red-blooded American teenager, exploring sex and dating, and being an observant Muslim, like his parents.

“Strawberries,” one of TV Guide’s best episodes of 2019, is one of the best illustrations of the show’s premise; the episode sees a 12-year-old Ramy is on the precipice of the sexual awakening that defines his adult life just at the moment terrorists attacked New York City on 9/11, changing America’s relationship with the Middle East forever. At a time when public perceptions of Muslim people aren’t always positive, Youssef’s “Allahu akbar” was an act of radical beauty.

Ramy is streaming on Hulu.

(Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.)

Ramy Youssef, 2020 Golden Globe Awards



Source : TVGuide