Mahershala Ali is having a busy summer.
In the space of the last two weeks, the two-time Academy Award winner has been nominated for an Emmy, was unveiled as the face of Marvel’s new “Blade” reboot during a surprise Comic-Con appearance, and is now set to join season 2 of the Hulu comedy “Ramy.”
Ali, who has been cast in a “special guest star role,” is said to be a “huge fan” of the Ramy Youssef-created series. Season 2 of “Ramy” is slated to premiere in 2020.
The actor has been on a hot streak as of late. He won his first Oscar, for best supporting actor, in 2016 for “Moonlight,” and won the same prize this year for his portrayal of Don Shirley in “Green Book.” He most recently starred in the third season of HBO’s drama series “True Detective,” for which he picked up an Emmy nod, and appeared in “Alita: Battle Angel.”
“Ramy” follows first-generation, Egyptian-American Ramy Hassan (Youssef) who is on a spiritual journey in his politically-divided New Jersey neighborhood. In the second season, Ramy will delve further into his spiritual journey, finding a new Muslim community and embracing a deeper commitment to Islam.
Youssef is also a writer and executive producer on the series alongside Jerrod Carmichael, A24’s Ravi Nandan, and co-creators Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch. The show is produced by A24.