Ahmed Mawas: The successful performer championing Lebanon in Hollywood

Ahmed Mawas, the Lebanese American actor and producer, has become recognized worldwide through his acting and Lebanese humor. Among his most prominent credits are The Misfits with Pierce Brosnan, the Hallmark holiday movie Rescuing Christmas alongside Rachael Leigh Cook and Netflix’s The Recruit, where his scene went viral across social media platforms due his authentic portrayal of a Lebanese taxi driver. The seasoned entertainment professional’s movies have premiered at prestigious film festivals such as the Palm Springs Film Festival and Cannes.

The producer took part in the Sundance Film Festival with the first film he ever made. Ahmed and his partner Andres Avalos had a creative concept that hadn’t been done before, the last 48 hours of a pinata’s life from its own perspective in “A King’s Betrayal”. They raised the money to make this film with the intention of learning the different roles the crew play when making a film, from how to prepare a call sheet, organize shoot dates, and the execution of moviemaking. Director David Bornstein had the necessary experience and vision to deliver a quality product which got accepted to Sundance.

Authenticity for the win

With around 100k followers on Instagram, he often uses humor like the "Lebanese in America" series to discuss culture. He owes his hilarious content approach to his wife Rima. “First of all, she’s a genius, I want to put that on the record. She’s a strategist who’s worked directly with the owner of Vayner Media, Gary Vaynerchuk, the social media guru”, says Ahmed.

The most valuable things she taught him are “really knowing your audience and being real, because once you tap into authenticity, it is as original and as unique as it can get”. That’s when he started leaning into cultural content. “The more authentic you are, the more people will resonate, and they will gravitate towards you”, says Ahmed.

Born in London UK, he lived in Ghana West Africa for eleven years and moved to Lebanon for six years of high school in Choueifat, Koura. He lived with his grandparents till he finished and left for the states to attend the University of Minnesota, majoring in Electrical Engineering, with a minor in Business Entrepreneurship. He’s always participated in school plays and taken acting classes during university. When he graduated, he started working in cybersecurity consulting while pursuing acting.

Originally from Tripoli, his mom is Ghanaian and Lebanese, and his dad Lebanese. His grandparents’ strict upbringing shaped his character. “My grandfather is a handsome gentleman, always in suits, if you see a picture of him, you’d think he was Daniel Day Lewis”. Going to the States at seventeen, he was armed with enough discipline and maturity to handle the first years alone in a new country.

Where it all began

In his childhood, Ahmed bonded with his father through watching action and drama movies. “Not limited to cartoons, I developed an admiration for cinema at a young age”, says Ahmed. Van Damme and Arnold were his favorite actors. In school, he started doing the splits and took Tae Kwon Do thinking he was Van Damme.

He found out he was a natural in acting when he starred in the school plays two years in a row, playing Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, then Marc Anthony in Cleopatra. He was surprised he was picked because he never thought of himself as attractive. “I got a bit of a big head”, once he received validation for his performance says Ahmed playfully. At graduation, his Drama and English teacher asked him not to throw away his acting chops. From that moment, he knew he could pursue it.

His career pivot occurred when the consulting company he was working for asked him to audition for its rebranding advertisement. So, he did and booked a role that paid 2,000$ for his pictures. His face was on the company’s website and he liked it. Not only did he get the part, but the casting director secured an agency in Minneapolis for him, and he’s been with them since 2011. In 2014, a couple of ads in, he built the confidence to move to LA to do television and film. Still in employment, his consulting salary helped him produce and act in his own films.

Breakout role

Working on diverse roles, he requires a mental reset to delve into a new part. He takes nice breaks to that effect. For instance, he was in Florida at the time of this interview. “One thing a lot of people don’t realize is that as an actor, it’s a great thing to step away from the business and LA. Just live life, be a brother, a husband, go to your friend’s birthday, a baby shower, experience life in general”, admits Ahmed. When he goes into his next role, he comes in with a fresh perspective.

The Misfits was his big break. The producers reached out to him because of social media and his short films that showcased his talent. Starring alongside Pierce Brosnan, he got a front-row seat to watch a Hollywood veteran in action. “He’s such a gentleman, down to earth and humble. Maybe that’s why people love him in real life and off screen. He will shake everybody’s hand, talk to everyone, he’s the nicest and most easygoing professional I’ve ever met. He’s hands down my number one”.

Ahmed had a small role in that movie, still he treated him with respect. “We played foosball together. We sat down and had conversations over coffee and baklava”. He studied one of the biggest movie stars in the world, watched him move and talk. “He listens actively, always smiling, giving you the space to talk and express yourself”, shares Ahmed. He taught him how to become likeable, easy to work with and make people feel good

What was very interesting was watching him learn lines. “It made me realize, he’s one of us”. He had the confidence to do that in front of the rest of the cast, a sign of authenticity and comfort in his own skin.

Rugged roots

Ahmed has been very vocal about what is going on in Lebanon and the region, he feels compelled to speak out on social media despite the backlash to stick to comedy. “I always ask myself W Baadein? And then what? I’ve been asking myself that a lot recently. You become a big movie star, go to premieres, make money and spend it, 100 K on social media is great, right? W Baadein?”.

If he’s not going to make a difference, what’s the use of all his success. On the emotional side, he puts himself in people’s shoes, the many Lebanese from the South living in the US. His formative years were spent in Tripoli. “Imagine as an adult I can’t go back and revisit my childhood”. It’s unfathomable to him. 

Operating without geographical limitations, Ahmed feels a responsibility to tell rich Middle Eastern stories. “It’s our duty as people in the industry. Nobody’s going to do it for us and they don’t have to. I get upset when people get mad at Hollywood, it’s not their story to tell”.

The weekend prior to this interview, he found out that his wife’s grandmother came to the US in a boat via Ellis Island, New York, the first checkpoint for immigrants from far and wide. He had no idea that Lebanese people came through there for lack of records. “I hear stories about people from countries all over Europe, but no one talks about Middle Eastern people”. In an industry built on storytelling, Ahmed is committed to uncover and propagate Lebanese narratives.