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Egypt Mena Massoud is an Egyptian-Canadian actor recognized for his lead role in Disney's live-action 'Aladdin' and for his advocacy for diversity in entertainment, alongside his ventures in plant-based living and premium spirits.
Copper Branch, a plant-based cuisine leader, announced a partnership with Mena Massoud, making him their first-ever brand ambassador. The collaboration highlights Massoud's passion for plant-based advocacy.
Mena Massoud founded Evolving Vegan, a brand that includes a lifestyle book, an IGTV travel series, an apparel line, and a Canadian television series about vegan cuisine. It was instrumental in launching a podcast, Growth Untold.
Mena Massoud co-founded Dharma Indian Dry Gin, a spirit inspired by Ayurvedic practice. He created it with Emily Shah and Prashant Shah, describing it as an expression of culture, willpower, and history.
Mena Massoud is the founder of Press Play Productions. The company aims to bridge the gap in Hollywood by producing a slate of projects and has been instrumental in launching his podcast, Growth Untold, and his Evolving Vegan ventures.
Mena Massoud was born on September 17, 1991, in Cairo, Egypt, and moved to Toronto, Canada, with his Coptic Orthodox Christian family at age three. He initially pursued neuroscience at the University of Toronto before transferring to Ryerson University, where he graduated from their theatre performance program in 2014. Massoud started his acting career in 2011 with guest appearances in television series such as ‘Nikita’ and ‘Combat Hospital’. He set a goal early in his career to seek out roles that did not perpetuate negative stereotypes based on ethnicity. Key early roles included Jared Malik in the Canadian-drama series ‘Open Heart’ (2015) and Ollie Santos in the film ‘Ordinary Days’ (2017).
Massoud gained international recognition for his portrayal of the titular character in Disney’s live-action ‘Aladdin’ (2019). This film was a significant commercial success, grossing over $1 billion worldwide, and earned Massoud nominations for a Teen Choice Award and two National Film & TV Awards. Following his breakthrough in ‘Aladdin’, Massoud continued to expand his filmography with roles in the Amazon Prime series ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’ (2018), the Hulu original series ‘Reprisal’ (2019), and the thriller film ‘Strange but True’ (2019). He also starred in the Netflix film ‘The Royal Treatment’ (2022) and the horror film ‘The Sacrifice Game’ (2023), for which he also served as an executive producer. In 2023, he debuted as the host for ‘Evolving Vegan’, a Canadian television series inspired by his own cookbook, and also announced his role as producer for the Iranian adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘The Last King’ and a reprise of his Aladdin role in its upcoming sequel. His career further includes an upcoming role in the romance drama film ‘Wish You Were Here’, set for release in 2025.
Beyond acting, Massoud has engaged in various entrepreneurial and philanthropic endeavors. In 2019, he became an ambassador for Egypt’s “Speak Egyptian” initiative, promoting cultural preservation for Egyptians living abroad. The same year, he founded the Ethnically Diverse Artists Foundation to support Canadian artists from underrepresented ethnic groups. His commitment to plant-based living led him to create the Evolving Vegan cookbook, TV series, and community. In 2022, he co-founded Dharma Indian Dry Gin with Emily Shah and Prashant Shah, launching a spirit inspired by Ayurvedic practices.
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