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Ramy Youssef was one of the celebrities who appeared on the March 30, 2024, episode of Saturday Night Live. The actor and comedian whose roots are from Egypt did double duty at the night that saw him host and act in a few of the sketches that night. Along with Ramy Youssef, Travis Scott performed for the audience as the musical guest.
Over the years, Saturday Night Live has seen multiple celebrities guest-star on the show, including the likes of Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, and Will Ferrell. Ramy appeared in sketches like Ozempic for Ramadan, Couple Goals, and Immigrant Dad Talk Show.
As previously mentioned, while Ramy acted in some of the sketches written by the writers, he wrote and performed his opening monologue. In the monologue, he addressed the topic of the Israel–Palestine conflict and hoped for the next president of the United States to not be a man.
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What did Ramy Youssef say in his Saturday Night Live opening monologue?
The comedian and Ramy creator started his monologue on a lighthearted note by mentioning the coincidence of Ramadan, Easter, and Beyoncé's new album all happening around the same time.
He then discussed the power of prayer, sharing that his friends often turned to him for prayer support despite not being as devout themselves.
Ramy recounted a story about a friend going through a custody battle over his dog, but his tone turned more serious when talking about a call from his friend Ahmed, who asked for prayers for his family in Gaza.
Youssef prayed for Ahmed's family, asking for an end to suffering and violence, and for the well-being of the people in the region.
"I’m like, ‘God, please, please help Ahmed’s family. Please stop the suffering. Stop the violence. Please free the people of Palestine, please,’” stated Ramy Youssef.
The Poor Things actor continued, asking for the freedom of all hostages in the area of conflict. The comedian also discussed the 2024 presidential election, commenting on President Joe Biden's awareness.
He suggested that the next US president should be a woman, highlighting the potential for a trans woman to bring about change based on her personal experience.
This was the first time Ramy Youssef was on Saturday Night Live and he performed in a total of eight comedy sketches including The Hitman, Immigrant Dad Talk Show, Ozempic for Ramadan, Please Don't Destroy, Couple Goals, Team Captain, Murder Detective, and Tiny Desk Concert.
Now, in an April 12, 2025 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ramy discussed his appearance on Saturday Night Live and his opening monologue that dealt with the Gaza conflict.
He acknowledged that addressing the topic on live TV was unconventional, but he wasn't anxious about it. In fact, he found it more stressful to remain silent and avoid potential criticism.
"It's more nerve-racking to try to shield yourself from whatever criticism is gonna come. And plenty of it has come," said Ramy.
Ramy stood by his words, believing they were "inoffensive". He noted that some people might be sensitive to the topic, but he didn't see anything controversial in his comments.
Ramy went on to explain his perspective on the Gaza conflict, mentioning that there was a power imbalance between the parties involved.
He expressed in the interview that possessing concern over innocent people being harmed or taken hostage wasn't controversial.
The comedian mentioned that he wasn't afraid to speak out, as he saw his message as straightforward and unobjectionable.
Watch new episodes of Saturday Night Live on Saturdays at 11:30 pm ET on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
