# Mena Massoud
**Mena Massoud** is an Egyptian-Canadian actor best known for playing the title role in Disney's 2019 live-action film *Aladdin*, directed by [Guy Ritchie](https://www.edgepedia.org/guy-ritchie), which crossed the one-billion-dollar mark at the worldwide box office[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mena_massoud) • [2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mena-massoud-after-aladdin-made-dollar1-billion-i-still-couldnt-get-an-audition/). Born in Cairo, he was raised in [Markham, Ontario](https://www.edgepedia.org/markham-ontario), and built a career spanning studio films, streaming originals, independent features, and, more recently, production work in Egypt and the Gulf[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mena_massoud) • [3](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/2025/04/27/mena-massoud-interview-abu-dhabi-book-fair-2025/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Cairo, Egypt; sources give 1991 (IMDb, AllMusic) or 1992 (Rotten Tomatoes)[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4565815/) • [5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mena-massoud-mn0003842575) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mena_massoud) |
| Signature role | Aladdin in Disney's 2019 live-action remake, won after an extensive worldwide search with open casting calls in 15 countries[6](https://www.arabnews.com/sites/default/files/pdf/44164/files/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf?uni=e5c2601efff968617f2a2bbeca3e7570) |
| Box office | *Aladdin* crossed $1 billion worldwide; the film had a $183 million budget[2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mena-massoud-after-aladdin-made-dollar1-billion-i-still-couldnt-get-an-audition/) |
| Television | Tarek Kassar in *[Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan](https://www.edgepedia.org/jack-ryan-tv-series)* (Amazon, 2018), Ethan Hart in Hulu's *Reprisal* (2019), Jared Malik in *Open Heart* (TeenNick, 2015)[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4565815/) • [7](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mena-massoud/) |
| Singing | His "A Whole New World" with Naomi Scott reached the Top 40 of Billboard's Digital Song Sales chart[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mena-massoud-mn0003842575) |
| Producing | Co-founded Press Play Productions in 2021, with offices in Dubai and Los Angeles; produced *Evolving Vegan* and *In Broad Daylight*[3](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/2025/04/27/mena-massoud-interview-abu-dhabi-book-fair-2025/) |
| Education | Studied neuroscience at the University of Toronto before transferring to Ryerson University's theater program, graduating with a BFA in acting[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4565815/) |
## Early life and training
Massoud was born in Cairo and moved to Canada as a young child; his family settled in Markham, Ontario, and he also grew up in the Toronto-area community of [Scarborough](https://www.edgepedia.org/scarborough)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mena_massoud) • [8](https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/05/23/canadian-aladdin-star-eyes-diverse-career-championing-homegrown-talent/). His family are Coptic Christians, and his parents left Egypt in the 1990s, judging it too dangerous to raise a young family there[2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mena-massoud-after-aladdin-made-dollar1-billion-i-still-couldnt-get-an-audition/). He has said his love of acting began with Egyptian cinema and television, which his parents watched at home[3](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/2025/04/27/mena-massoud-interview-abu-dhabi-book-fair-2025/).
His first stage roles came early: he played [Peter Pan](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-pan) in an elementary school production and later Mercutio in a high school staging of *Romeo and Juliet*[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mena_massoud) • [2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mena-massoud-after-aladdin-made-dollar1-billion-i-still-couldnt-get-an-audition/). Acting was not initially a permitted career choice in his immigrant household, so he began in neuroscience at the [University of Toronto](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-toronto) before transferring to Ryerson University's theater program and completing a BFA in acting[2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mena-massoud-after-aladdin-made-dollar1-billion-i-still-couldnt-get-an-audition/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4565815/).
## Early screen work
Massoud broke into the business in 2011 with the short film *What Happens Next* and the TV action thriller *Nikita* ([The CW](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cw), 2010–13)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mena_massoud). His first role that paid in America carried only the designation "Al Qaeda #2" on *Nikita*, a credit he later described when discussing the limited range of roles open to actors of Middle Eastern descent[8](https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/05/23/canadian-aladdin-star-eyes-diverse-career-championing-homegrown-talent/). After that, he set a goal of finding characters who were not terrorists or negatively defined by ethnicity; on *Jack Ryan* he played Tarek Kassar, a CIA analyst and confidant to [John Krasinski](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-krasinski)'s Jack Ryan[2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mena-massoud-after-aladdin-made-dollar1-billion-i-still-couldnt-get-an-audition/).
Through the mid-2010s he took series work on *The 99* (The Hub, 2011–13) and *Open Heart* (TeenNick, 2015), where his first big break came as Jared Malik, plus smaller roles in *King* (Showcase, 2011–12) and *Saving Hope* (CTV, 2012–17)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mena_massoud) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4565815/). His feature debut was the comedy *Let's Rap* (2015)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mena_massoud). In 2017 he was cast in two major projects: *Jack Ryan* and the Disney remake[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mena_massoud).
## Aladdin (2019)
Disney's casting process was long and international. After open casting calls in 15 countries, the studio chose Massoud for Aladdin, with British-Indian actress [Naomi Scott](https://www.edgepedia.org/naomi-scott) as Princess Jasmine and [Will Smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-smith) as the Genie[6](https://www.arabnews.com/sites/default/files/pdf/44164/files/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf?uni=e5c2601efff968617f2a2bbeca3e7570) • [9](https://time.com/4859907/disney-casts-will-smith-mena-massoud-and-naomi-scott-for-live-action-aladdin-remake/). Massoud has said he beat out 2,000 actors for the lead in the $183 million production[2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mena-massoud-after-aladdin-made-dollar1-billion-i-still-couldnt-get-an-audition/). He chose not to rewatch the 1992 animated film in preparation, saying the story's fabric and culture were already part of him from childhood[10](https://www.amctheatres.com/amc-scene/why-mena-massoud-didnt-use-the-original-aladdin-as-prep).
The film opened in May 2019 and crossed the $1 billion mark at the box office, making it one of the year's biggest commercial hits despite mixed critical reviews[2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mena-massoud-after-aladdin-made-dollar1-billion-i-still-couldnt-get-an-audition/) • [11](https://ir.mtu.edu.ng/article/mena-massoud-movies-shows-and-notable-roles-explained). Massoud's singing proved a genuine commercial draw: his duet with Scott on the Oscar-winning "A Whole New World" reached the Top 40 of Billboard's Digital Song Sales chart, and the film's cast album topped the Billboard soundtracks chart[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mena-massoud-mn0003842575). He has noted that an all-ethnic cast crossing a billion dollars had not been done before and, in his view, has not been done since[12](https://www.bigissue.com/culture/film/mena-massoud-aladdin-butterfly-tale-actor-colour-vegan/). The casting carried weight for representation: Massoud called it "incredibly important" that a person from the Middle East star in a project of this scale, saying success could show studios that films with leads who look like him and Scott can prosper[13](https://www.latimes.com/espanol/noticas-mas/articulo/2019-05-21/efe-3980908-15442936-20190520).
## Life after Aladdin
The commercial triumph did not immediately translate into offers. In a December 2019 interview with [The Daily Beast](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-daily-beast), Massoud said he had not had a single audition since *Aladdin* premiered, despite the film's success, and that presumptions about his wealth and incoming offers were "none of those things"[2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mena-massoud-after-aladdin-made-dollar1-billion-i-still-couldnt-get-an-audition/). He described auditioning as the usual "wild card" in rooms of white actors, and spoke about the difficulty of finding roles that are not terrorists[2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mena-massoud-after-aladdin-made-dollar1-billion-i-still-couldnt-get-an-audition/).
Subsequent work leaned toward streaming and independent film. *[The Royal Treatment](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-royal-treatment-film)*, a Netflix romantic comedy in which he played Prince Thomas opposite [Laura Marano](https://www.edgepedia.org/laura-marano), was the service's #1 film worldwide for several consecutive weeks in 2022[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4565815/). His other credits include the animated *Lamya's Poem* (2021), voicing the 13th-century poet Rumi; the independent features *Run This Town* (2019) and *Strange but True* (2019); the horror film *The Sacrifice Game* (2023), on which he was also executive producer; the animated *Butterfly Tale* (2023); and *Wish You Were Here* (2025)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mena_massoud) • [14](https://cinegraph.org/people/mena-massoud). On television he appeared as Ethan Hart in Hulu's noir thriller *Reprisal* (2019), a role he took partly because its creator, Josh Corbin, cast him without knowing he was the star of *Aladdin*[2](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mena-massoud-after-aladdin-made-dollar1-billion-i-still-couldnt-get-an-audition/).
## Producing and advocacy
Massoud has tied his production work directly to the scarcity of opportunities he encountered. He co-founded Press Play Productions in 2021, with offices in Dubai and Los Angeles, and says all its projects will feature globally resonant, multicultural stories[3](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/2025/04/27/mena-massoud-interview-abu-dhabi-book-fair-2025/). The company co-produced two seasons of his food-travel series *Evolving Vegan*, based on his cookbook, and the Egyptian thriller *In Broad Daylight*, in which Massoud plays Hamza, a globe-trotting con artist, in his first full Arabic-language film[3](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/2025/04/27/mena-massoud-interview-abu-dhabi-book-fair-2025/). He has also rejected stereotyped material outright, telling his agents not to submit him for a show he felt portrayed the Middle East negatively[3](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/2025/04/27/mena-massoud-interview-abu-dhabi-book-fair-2025/).
Beyond production, he founded the Ethnically Diverse Artists Foundation and has spoken publicly about the importance of representation in the entertainment industry[15](https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/diversity-and-inclusion/learn-how-to-succeed-in-a-whole-new-world-with-mena-massoud/). In Egypt, he has contrasted the working conditions favorably with Hollywood, noting he performed more of his own stunts there than the insurance rules around *Aladdin* permitted[3](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/2025/04/27/mena-massoud-interview-abu-dhabi-book-fair-2025/). He has also developed a passion project, a television series based on figures from the golden era of Egyptian music and film such as [Abdel Halim Hafez](https://www.edgepedia.org/abdel-halim-hafez)[3](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/2025/04/27/mena-massoud-interview-abu-dhabi-book-fair-2025/).
## Recent work
Massoud plays the [Old Testament](https://www.edgepedia.org/old-testament) prophet Daniel in *Daniel and the Fiery Furnace* (2026), a biblical drama in which Daniel and his friends face trials under King Nebuchadnezzar[16](https://radio.foxnews.com/2026/09/20/from-aladdin-to-the-old-testament-mena-massoud-on-daniel-and-the-fiery-furnace/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4565815/). As for the long-discussed *Aladdin* sequel, reported to be in development since early 2020, Naomi Scott called 2025 rumors of upcoming filming "completely fake," and Massoud had already said a follow-up was "very unlikely at this point"[17](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/fantasy-movies/aladdin-star-debunks-rumors-the-live-action-disney-sequel-will-film-next-year-as-completely-fake/).
## References
1. [Mena Massoud Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/mena_massoud)
2. [Mena Massoud: After 'Aladdin' Made $1 Billion, I Still Couldn't Get an Audition, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/mena-massoud-after-aladdin-made-dollar1-billion-i-still-couldnt-get-an-audition/)
3. [Abu Dhabi Book Fair 2025: Mena Massoud on rejecting stereotypes and reclaiming Arab stories, The National](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/books/2025/04/27/mena-massoud-interview-abu-dhabi-book-fair-2025/)
4. [Mena Massoud, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4565815/)
5. [Mena Massoud Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mena-massoud-mn0003842575)
6. [Arab News digital newspaper 44164, May 18, 2019](https://www.arabnews.com/sites/default/files/pdf/44164/files/assets/common/downloads/publication.pdf?uni=e5c2601efff968617f2a2bbeca3e7570)
7. [Mena Massoud, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/mena-massoud/)
8. [Canadian 'Aladdin' star eyes diverse career championing homegrown talent, CityNews Toronto](https://toronto.citynews.ca/2019/05/23/canadian-aladdin-star-eyes-diverse-career-championing-homegrown-talent/)
9. [Disney Casts Will Smith, Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott for Live-Action 'Aladdin' Remake, TIME](https://time.com/4859907/disney-casts-will-smith-mena-massoud-and-naomi-scott-for-live-action-aladdin-remake/)
10. [Why Mena Massoud Didn't Use the Original Aladdin as Prep, AMC Theatres](https://www.amctheatres.com/amc-scene/why-mena-massoud-didnt-use-the-original-aladdin-as-prep)
11. [Mena Massoud: Movies, Shows, and Notable Roles Explained](https://ir.mtu.edu.ng/article/mena-massoud-movies-shows-and-notable-roles-explained)
12. [Mena Massoud on life after Aladdin, confidence and the problem with roles for actors of colour, Big Issue](https://www.bigissue.com/culture/film/mena-massoud-aladdin-butterfly-tale-actor-colour-vegan/)
13. [Watching "Aladdin" as a boy, Mena Massoud saw himself reflected on the screen, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/espanol/noticas-mas/articulo/2019-05-21/efe-3980908-15442936-20190520)
14. [Mena Massoud, Cinegraph](https://cinegraph.org/people/mena-massoud)
15. [Learn How to Succeed in A Whole New World with Mena Massoud, Innovating Canada](https://www.innovatingcanada.ca/diversity-and-inclusion/learn-how-to-succeed-in-a-whole-new-world-with-mena-massoud/)
16. [From Aladdin to the Old Testament: Mena Massoud on 'Daniel and the Fiery Furnace', Fox News Radio – Lighthouse Faith](https://radio.foxnews.com/2026/09/20/from-aladdin-to-the-old-testament-mena-massoud-on-daniel-and-the-fiery-furnace/)
17. [Aladdin star debunks rumors the live-action Disney sequel will film next year as "completely fake", GamesRadar+](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/fantasy-movies/aladdin-star-debunks-rumors-the-live-action-disney-sequel-will-film-next-year-as-completely-fake/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Canadian actors › Surnames M to P*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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