At its core, Mo on Netflix is a show about faith. Mo Amer’s character and his family believe in the American legal system they want to make them citizens after years of living as refugees, but also have religion – Mo’s Islamic faith, his Mexican-American girlfriend’s Catholicism, and the idea (now in most creeds) everyone of any background can live in harmony. But it’s also a show about olive oil. Mo has a lot in it. The fictional version of Amer is very particular about it, and the liquid gold has a Proustian effect, reminiscent of happy times growing up in another place, before his family had to run from their home in Palestine to Kuwait, Then ran to the US Gulf War after the outbreak
So what does a real Mo Amer look for in olive oil? “I keep an eye out for the flakes. If it has sliced olives in it, that’s the real deal. If it’s super clear, brighter yellow than dark green, then I’m usually out. I cook with that stuff.”
Faith issues, many immigrant or refugee like Amer (his line is similar to his onscreen character, born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents who moved him to Texas Houston, NS, when he was a kid) can tell you that it will leave you terribly disappointed. This is where Mo shines. Sometimes it’s the joke of a particularly heavy moment, but there are subtle details — like when Mo interviews for a security job at a strip club. “You won’t be our first illegal immigrant,” the owner said, adding without a hint of sarcasm, “but you will be our first Arab. It will be a historic hire for Dreams.” Funny, but also sad. It might take a second to understand why, but calling someone “illegal” alone is a good start.
Amer deals with reality Sadness in life and creating his show by making people laugh. Comedy and tragedy are supposed to be the same thing, but putting them together is like mixing water with olive oil. “It’s so much,” says Amer of the series. “Trying to take everything apart and thinking, ‘Wow, is this still a comedy?’ Because there’s some really sad stuff in there and we have to make sure it’s balanced.” Amer describes Mo as an exercise in comic catharsis. “It’s scary being so vulnerable in front of the camera, man.” He recalls a mentor telling him that when he acted, he should be “so honest that it’s hard to make eye contact with you.” He made Mo with that in mind. “That happened,” he says — and many people can’t look him in the eye after a scene. It’s not easy to comedicize this work. “Analyzing emotions is probably one of the hardest things we’ve ever done,” he said of sketching out how the show would work. The whole experience of working on the show has been an exciting one for Amer. Amer starts to choke up when he starts talking about the scene where Mo’s mother (played by the scene-stealing Farah Bsieso) makes oil from olives brought to her by her son. He is also proud that his team found the a music track. “I’ve only seen my dad cry twice: once when my grandmother died and once when I saw a scene where that song was used on the show. It had such a big impact on me. I always say that when I have I use that song on my own show. When I showed it to my mom, she started crying. To receive the magazine, 2021Click here to subscribe.
