“Most people don’t know stand up is an indigenous art form to the states,” said Mohammed Amer. “It’s jazz, hip hop, and stand up comedy, as far as I know, which are the three indigenous art forms to the states. I saw stand up live the first time when I was ten years old and that was a moment of complete clarity for me, what I was destined to do.”

Amer, who goes by “Mo Amer,” said he didn’t understand how profound that moment was until years later. “That has truly helped me filter so much pain in my life. To be expressive in a room full of strangers, to have my own expression, my own freedom of thought, whether it’s a story or observation, it created a balance in my life.”

As an actor, Mo played Karim in the latest Black Adam film, and has also appeared on Ray and Crashing. These days, he’s best known for stand up work, such as Mo Amer: The Vagabond and Mo Amer: Mohammed in Texas. But he’s also starring in the series he wrote for himself, Mo, for Netflix.

“I had to educate myself, learn the craft, and I fell in love with it. Then I saw the landscape of what Hollywood was at the time and knew I was ahead of myself. From the future. The only Mohammad from the self, doing stand-up pre-9/11, so my reaction from the audience was very good but also very curious.”

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