Mo Amer is back with Wild World, his third Netflix comedy special, streaming on October 28.
Following The Vagabond (2018) and Mohammed in Texas (2021), the Palestinian-American comedian will be turning to fatherhood, heritage and airport security for fresh material, Netflix said.
Born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents and raised in Houston, Amer has built a career on weaving stories of identity, family and migration into his stand-up, balancing humour with poignancy.
Beyond stand-up, Amer co-created and stars in the acclaimed Netflix comedy-drama Mo, which follows the life of a Palestinian refugee in the US. The semi-autobiographical series, which has won Gotham and Peabody Awards, returned in January with a second season that included a powerful episode depicting a long-awaited visit to Palestine – particularly poignant due to the continuing destruction of Gaza. It juxtaposes moments of nostalgia with harrowing scenes of Israeli settlers tear-gassing Mo and his family as they protect their olive trees.
“It was really hard,” Amer told The National about filming that episode. “You’re picking at a scab. You’re picking at memories at a very difficult time, with everything that’s going on. It was important to be as honest as possible, as grounded as possible.
“I just had to dig deep and push my own feelings aside and make sure that we made a realistic portrayal of what it’s like to be in the West Bank as a Palestinian.”
Amer has also appeared in the sitcom Ramy and in the superhero film Black Adam, opposite Dwayne Johnson.
Before his new special premieres Amer will return to this year's Dubai Comedy Festival as one of the headliners. A fourth and final performance was recently added “due to public demand” – he will now perform two shows a day on October 9 and 10 at Dubai Opera.
The Dubai show promise a mix of new material reflecting on fatherhood and fame, delivered with Amer’s signature blend of candour and charm, organisers said.
