Canadian actor and singer Mena Massoud—best known for playing Disney’s Aladdin—now stars in a Netflix Rom-Com. The Royal Treatment sees Massoud playing a Prince preparing for his arranged marriage.
Massoud received a Teen Choice Award nomination and two National Film & TV award nominations for his portrayal of Aladdin. He will return to the big screen again as the titular role in an upcoming sequel.
Now Massoud can enjoy the success of The Royal Treatment, as it hits the no.1 spot on Netflix on the week of its release.
Aladdin opens up Mena Massoud’s career
Massoud started acting in 2011, making guest appearances in TV shows Combat Hospital and Nikita. In 2015, he starred in drama series Open Heart and in 2017 he played Ollie Santos in the film Ordinary Days. By 2018, he had a role in the Amazon Prime original series Jack Ryan.
In 2019, Massoud got his big break playing Aladdin in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the original 1992 animation. He starred opposite Will Smith and Naomi Scott, who play the genie and Jasmine respectively. With Guy Ritchie directing, the film grossed over $1billion worldwide.
Massoud relished playing the role, which broke him out of a stereotypical mold: “I was excited to finally have an opportunity to play a character that wasn’t a terrorist and didn’t have a negative connotation on them. This has a very positive connotation. It’s an inspiring film, an inspiring role,” he says.
Mena Massoud’s passion for acting goes back to childhood
Born in Cairo, Egypt, Massoud and his family moved to Toronto, Canada when he was three years old. He grew up in Markham, Ontario. Massoud knew he wanted to be a performer from an early age. He starred as Peter Pan in elementary school and led the improv team at high school.
Massoud’s old drama teacher remembers him as a quiet boy who came to life on stage: “He sort of flew under the radar until he got up to work. And at that point, he was like a force of nature. He was volcanic,” he says. According to him, Massoud was a “shapeshifter” and could perform anything.
After graduating, Massoud decided to study Neuroscience at the University of Toronto. But there he realized where his true passion lay. He switched over to Ryerson University’s theater performance program to pursue acting full-time and follow his dreams.
Mena Massoud in “The Royal Treatment”
That decision has now led to Massoud playing the star role in a no.1 Netflix film. The Royal Treatment, a romantic comedy, follows a Prince preparing for his arranged marriage. Things get complicated when the Prince—played by Massoud—falls for the royal wedding’s hair & make-up person Izzy.
The role comes as a relief to Massoud, who surprisingly found it difficult to find work after his Hollywood breakout role as Aladdin. “I want people to know that it’s not always dandelions and roses when you’re doing something like Aladdin,” he says.
Massoud has said that his Middle Eastern background often sees him cast as the “wild card”. Casting directors usually look to white actors for lead roles: “In a room of Caucasian guys, a director might be like, ‘Okay, let’s see, like, two guys who aren’t.’ And maybe they’ll be the wild card choice,” he says.
Watch The Royal Treatment here.
