The series is co-created by Youssef, who executive produces under his Cairo Cowboy Banner.
Egyptian-American actor Ramy Youssef has revealed the cast of his new cartoon series, #1 Happy Family USA.
US singer-actress Mandy Moore and Youssef are set to star in an animated series for Amazon, which Youssef co-created.
Besides Youssef and Moore, the series will also star actress Alia Shawkat, who is of Iraqi, American, Irish, Italian and Norwegian descent, Egyptian Canadian comedian Salma Hindy, “Ramy” actress Randa Jarrar and US comedians Chris Redd, Akaash Singh and Whitmer Thomas, according to Variety.
The Amazon animated series will once again bring the nuanced experiences of Muslims in the diaspora to global screens alongside a diverse cast.
The two-season series will follow the story of a Muslim-American family learning to code-switch and negotiate their identity in the early 2000s, amidst a zeitgeist riddled with fear and war. Youssef will voice the role of Rumi Hussein, a 12-year-old boy eager to fit in and ironically named after Persian poet and Islamic scholar Jalal Aldin Rumi. Iraqi American actress Alia Shawkat will voice Rumi’s sister, while American actress Mandy Moore will voice Rumi’s sixth-grade teacher and crush.
Youssef is the co-creator of the series with US writer and TV producer Pam Brady. The pair will be executive producers of the show with Iraqi British journalist Mona Chalabi. A24 and Amazon Studios will co-produce.
