Mena Massoud

Mena Massoud was born in Egypt but grew up in Markham, Ontario. He had enrolled in the University of Toronto to pursue a career in neuroscience in 2009, but a year later auditioned for Ryerson University’s theatre performance program. After he graduated from Ryerson, he landed bit parts in series like Combat Hospital and King while making money waiting tables at a popular Toronto restaurant. His break came when he landed a role on the mystery-drama television series Open Heart for ABC Spark. In 2018 he worked on Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan for Amazon Prime. He costars in Run This Town, the story of a fictional journalist chasing an explosive story about former Toronto mayor Rob Ford. He plays a Ford aide in the film, which had its world premiere at the South by Southwest festival in March. Being cast as the lead character in Aladdin, costarring Will Smith and Naomi Scott, is the biggest jump in his career. So far.