| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Mena Mansour Massoud |
| Profession | Actor |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5' 9" (175 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Career | |
| Debut | Egyptian Film: 'In Broad Daylight' (2025) as Hamza TV: 'Nikita' (2011) as a terrorist  |
| Award | 2019- Breakthrough Talent Award at the GQ Men of the Year Awards |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 17 September 1991 (Tuesday) |
| Age (as of 2024) | 33 Years |
| Birthplace | Cairo, Egypt |
| Zodiac sign | Virgo |
| Signature |  |
| Nationality | Egyptian |
| Hometown | Toronto |
| School | St. Brother André Catholic High School, Ontario |
| College/University | Ryerson University |
| Educational Qualification | Theatre Performance Program |
| Religion | Christian |
| Food Habit | Vegan |
| Hobbies | Horseback Riding, Meditating, Cooking |
| Social Media | • Instagram |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Engaged |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Emily Shah (Actress) |
| Family | |
| Parents | Father- Mansour Massoud Mother- Gorgit  |
| Siblings | Sisters- Margaret, Marian |
| Favourites | |
| Actor | Adel Emam |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Mena Massoud
- Mena Massoud was born to Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christian parents.
Mena Massoud’s childhood photo with his father
- Mena Massoud and his family emigrated to Canada when he was just three years old. Discussing his thoughts about their migration, Mena Massoud was quoted as saying in one of his interviews that
We’re Coptic Christian and my parents just felt like things were getting a little too dangerous when I was growing up in Egypt. They wanted to create a better life for their family so they decided to immigrate to Canada.”
- When he was attending St. Brother André Catholic High School in Ontario, he was appointed as the head of the improv team in the high school.
- He was always interested in acting and performing arts, but initially in life, Mena wanted to become a doctor or psychologist, which is also why he enrolled in a degree in neuroscience at the University of Toronto.
- Mena did not finish his neuroscience degree, and instead auditioned for theatre schools to learn professional acting. After some time, he enrolled at Ryerson University for their theatre performance program.
- Mena began acting in 2011 and made guest appearances on various English television series.
- When he played a terrorist in the American action thriller drama television series titled ‘Nikita’ (2011), it made him decide to focus on finding roles that don’t involve being a terrorist or sending negative messages about people because of their skin colour or background.
Mena Massoud in a still from ‘Nikita’ (2011)
- In 2015, Mena Massoud was cast in the first season of the Canadian mystery-drama television series titled ‘Open Heart,’ in which he played the character of Jared Malik. However, the TV series was cancelled after one season.
Mena Massoud (left) in a still from the Canadian mystery-drama TV series titled ‘Open Heart’ (2015)
- In 2016, he lent his voice to multiple characters in the action-adventure video game titled ‘Watch Dogs 2,’ which was the sequel to 2014’s Watch Dogs and the second instalment in the Watch Dogs series.
- In 2018, Mena Massoud was cast in the first season of the American political action thriller television series titled ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,’ which was based on characters from the fictional Ryanverse created by author Tom Clancy. Mena played the character of Tarek Kassar, and it was released on Amazon Prime Video.
Mena Massoud (extreme right) in a still from the American political action thriller TV series titled ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’ (2018)
- In 2019, Mena was cast in the American musical fantasy film titled ‘Aladdin,’ which was a live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1992 animated film ‘Aladdin,’ itself based on ‘Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.’ Mena played the character of Aladdin in the film.
Mena Massoud in a still from the American musical fantasy film titled ‘Aladdin’ (2019)
- His performance in the film ‘Aladdin’ was loved worldwide, and he has never had a single audition since the film Aladdin came out. His role as Aladdin is recognised for offering a more positive and lively representation of an Arab character in Hollywood.
- In 2019, he was named an ambassador by Egypt’s Ministry of Migration, which was a ministry in charge of manpower, labour relations and emigration of Egyptian workers for their ‘Speak Egyptian’ initiative, which aimed at preserving the cultural identity of Egyptians living overseas.
- In the same year, he started the non-profit Ethnically Diverse Artists Foundation to support Canadian artists from under-represented backgrounds. It helps them start their careers by providing mentors, training, headshots, and support for actors, musicians, and visual artists.
- Talking about his motivation behind starting the EDA Foundation, Mena Massoud was quoted as saying in one of his interviews that
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.”
- He aims to make changes in the film industry so that roles are cast fairly, regardless of an artist’s skin colour or ethnic background.
- In 2021, Mena lent his voice to the character of Rumi in the animated adventure film titled ‘Lamya’s Poem.’
- In 2022, Mena Massoud was cast in the American romance film titled ‘The Royal Treatment,’ which was released on Netflix. The film became the week’s most-watched film on the streaming service, and Mena played the character of Prince Thomas in the film.
Mena Massoud on the poster of the American romance film titled ‘The Royal Treatment’ (2022)
- In the same year, Mena launched his new gin named ‘Dharma Indian Dry Gin.’ It was launched in partnership with the American actress Emily Shah and the American film producer Prashant Shah. Mena described his gin as “the world’s first and only spirit inspired by Ayurvedic practice.”
Mena Massoud’s Instagram post about his newly launched gin brand named ‘Dharma Indian Dry Gin’ (2022)
- In 2023, Mena Massoud hosted the Canadian food travelogue television series titled ‘Evolving Vegan,’ which was based in part on his own previously published vegan cookbook of the same name.
Mena Massoud on the poster of his Canadian food travelogue TV series titled ‘Evolving Vegan’ (2023)
- In 2025, he was cast in the American romantic drama film titled ‘Wish You Were Here,’ in which he played the character of Adam.
Mena Massoud on the poster of the American romantic drama film titled ‘Wish You Were Here’ (2025)
- Mena Massoud has been part of many films, and some of them include ‘Strange but True’ (2019), ‘Run This Town’ (2020), ‘Hotel for the Holidays’ (2022), ‘The Sacrifice Game’ (2023), and ‘Butterfly Tale’ (2023).
Mena Massoud (second from left) in a still from the American horror film titled ‘The Sacrifice Game’ (2023)
- Mena Massoud has been part of many TV series, and some of them include ‘Combat Hospital’ (2011), ‘Cut to the Chase’ (2012), ‘Saving Hope’ (2017), ‘Reprisal’ (2019), ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ (2021), and ‘History of the World, Part II’ (2023).
Mena Massoud in a still from the American drama TV series titled ‘Reprisal’ (2019)
- He is an admirer of Egyptian comedy movies, and was quoted as saying in one of his interviews that
I grew up watching Egyptian comedy films by the great Egyptian comedians. The way they entertain the audience with not only their words but with their body language and facial expressions is totally different from that of the actors here. I believe I play comedy roles with a different taste that I learned from our own Egyptian cinema and this makes it appealing in a different way.”
- He considers the American actor Robin Williams his biggest inspiration in movies. Mena stated that Robin Williams was the actor who impacted him the most.
- Mena Massoud and Emily Shah began dating in 2020 after meeting on a private app for members only. At first, Emily Shah wanted to just be friends, but Mena Massoud showed interest in something more, and eventually they got into a relationship. The couple announced their engagement in 2024.
Hello Indo-Arabia Magazine’s Instagram post announcing Mena Massoud and Emily Shah’s engagement in 2024
- Mena Massoud occasionally consumed alcohol.
Mena Massoud making himself an alcoholic drink at a bar
- He loves spending time with animals, and he often shares photos with his pet dog on social media.
Mena Massoud with his pet dog
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