In this episode, Ahmed is joined by comedian Nicky Paris as they share their craziest Hollywood tales from in and outside the entertainment industry.
Ahmed Ahmed: Egyptian-American actor, comedian, producer, and director Ahmed Ahmed is one of the most diverse, multi-faceted talents in the entertainment industry today. In 2014, he can be seen starring as “Ahmed” on TBS’ hit comedy series Sullivan & Son. Executive Produced by Vince Vaughn, the show follows Steve Sullivan [Steve Byrne], a corporate lawyer who surprises his parents when he leaves his job to take over a bar owned by his father in Pittsburgh. Ahmed made his first appearance as unlucky in love, tow-truck driver [and best friend to Steve] “Ahmed” in season one, and joined the cast as a series regular in season two, quickly becoming a fan favorite. Ahmed is currently the only Arab-American actor playing a non-stereotypical role on a comedy sitcom, today. Born in Helwan, Egypt and raised in Riverside, California Ahmed immigrated to the US when he was one month old with his family. When he was 19 years old he made the move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. His first big break was in the suspense, action film Executive Decision alongside Kurt Russell, Steven Segal, and Halle Berry in 1996. Ahmed went on to appear in a handful of blockbuster and cult hit features including Swingers, Iron Man, and You Don’t Mess With The Zohan. On the television front, Ahmed has appeared on top series such as Tracy Takes On, Weeds, and Roseanne to name a few. In 2011, Ahmed made his directorial debut with his groundbreaking documentary Just Like Us. The film premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, and went on to be selected at 30 international film festivals, winning several “Best Director” and “Best Documentary” awards. The documentary, a celebration of culture and comedy, follows Ahmed and ten American comedians through Dubai, Egypt, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, performing in front of over 20,000 Arabs and Muslims across the region. Just Like Us garnered Ahmed attention on the political front, and he was invited to The White House to have dinner with President Obama, and was also invited to The State Department to have dinner with Hilary Clinton- as they commended him on creating a project that made an effort to break down barriers and encourage cross-cultural dialogue. Ahmed is currently in post-production on Just Like Us Too, which takes place in Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Oman. While working in film and television Ahmed’s profile in comedy continues to rise, being hand picked by Vince Vaughn for his Wild West Comedy Tour [2005-present]. Vaughn is currently producing the first ever Wild West comedy festival in Nashville, TN where Ahmed will hold the roll of Comedy Ambassador, performing and hosting shows. In 2005, Ahmed cofounded and performed in the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour which aired on Comedy Central as the first ever Middle Eastern stand up comedy special. Ahmed is also the winner of the first annual Richard Pryor Award for Ethnic Comedy at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival in Scotland. Ahmed is currently a paid regular performer at the world famous Comedy Story in Hollywood, The Laugh Factory, and the Comedy Cellar in New York City. He regularly tours nationally and internationally, and in summer 2014, Ahmed will hit the road for the Sullivan & Son Comedy Tour with his cast mates from the series, hitting 20+ markets across the country. Ahmed is a true believer that laughter heals, and that comedy can bridge the gap between communities across the world.
This Week’s Special Guest: Nicky Paris: Ever since he was a little boy, Nicky Paris knew it was his destiny to dazzle huge crowds and evoke roaring waves of laughter, applause and love from the masses with his unique perspective of the world around him. Born and raised on Staten Island, growing up in this distinctive borough of New York City was the perfect training ground for Stand-up Comedy. Paris started to stand up at seventeen years old and although a college student by day, when the sun went down, he was moonlighting in some of New York City’s most infamous comedy clubs wowing audiences night after night with his incomparable wit, humor and irresistible charm. He has become a regular fixture on the comedy scene in New York City, performing nightly at Broadway Comedy Club, Greenwich Village Comedy Club, Caroline’s on Broadway and Gladys’ at the Comic Strip Live. “Nicky Paris is the next big thing when it comes to comedy. He is without question one of the funniest comedians New York is ever seen. He is incredible. He is eloquent, poised, has great presence and remarkably fresh material.” writes the Times Square Chronicles in a recent write up, “I can honestly say when your humor transcends who you are as a caste, social or physical distinction of any kind then you are truly talented with an “IT” factor and Mr. Paris has that intangible to an exponential degree.” Nicky’s standout and electrifying performances quickly caught the eye of the industry and he was asked to join the The Wendy Williams Show as an on-air talent using his sharp wit, humor and love for juicy celebrity gossip for Wendy’s #StreetTalk segments and he quickly became a regular for the segment on the hit talk show. Soon after, Elite Daily tapped Paris to become a cast member on their hit web show Gen Why?! where he represents his generation of millenials and the Voice of Generation Y for three seasons and counting along with some of the biggest internet personalities on the planet. Whether on stage, television, appearing in comedy club or online though his enormous social media following, Paris has proven time and again he has what it takes to become a huge star. Once the far off childhood dream of becoming a superstar now has become his destiny.
