Shadi Alfons

Shadi Alfons is an Egyptian TV and film actor, writer, and producer. He gained notoriety as a main cast member and senior writer on Bassem Youssef's political satire show, 'Al Bernameg', Egypt's version of Jon Stewart's The Daily Show. Shadi is credited for writing and performing many of the comedic and controversial sociopolitical satire sketches, and viral parody songs that launched the show from an online production into the number one television show in the history of the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) region. Al Bernameg's ratings boasted more than 30 million weekly viewers, followed only in ratings by the reruns of the show. Despite its popularity, the show was banned from Egyptian TV, and subsequently regional cable, in 2014, as a direct result of the political climate in Egypt. In 2015, Shadi became one of the founding members of the official Arabic version of 'Saturday Night Live' in Egypt, 'SNL Arabia'. He served as one of SNL's senior writers, main cast, and parody news anchors of 'The Weekend Update' and is behind the creation of several viral sketches and parody songs. Throughout its four aired seasons, 52 episodes, SNL garnered millions of weekly viewers, region wide, until the show was ultimately banned by the Egyptian authorities in 2018. Also 2018, he played a leading role, 'Ezzat', in the 30-episode, award winning and critically acclaimed Egyptian action/drama TV series, 'Fawq El Sahab' (Above the Clouds). Shadi appears, as himself, alongside Jon Stewart and Bassem Youssef, in the Netflix documentary, Tickling Giants. He is also featured in the documentary, Die Laughing, by the Executive Producers of 'Live From New York', JL Pomeroy and Emmy Award winner, Tom Broecker. Most recently, as his first major American television series debut, Alfons plays 'Shadi', Ramy's over-the-top Egyptian cousin, in both seasons of the groundbreaking, Golden Globe award winning HULU series, RAMY. Additionally, Alfons contributed creatively, co-produced and co-starred in the, feature films, 'From A to B', as well as, 'Rashid and Rajab'. Both films were produced by ImageNation and Twofour54, leading media and entertainment giants in the Middle East and North Africa, and co-producers of Hollywood blockbusters including Men in Black 3, Star Wars: Episode VII and The Fast and the Furious 7. When not onscreen, Shadi is a voice-over artist and music producer.