Mena Massoud Reflects on Career Growth and Celebrates New Film ‘Wish You Were Here’

Mena Massoud is opening up about the challenges and rewards of working in the film industry as he celebrates his latest project, Wish You Were Here. The 33-year-old actor stars in the romance film, which marks Julia Stiles’ directorial debut and is now showing in theaters.

Speaking at the New York City screening of the movie, Massoud shared how his outlook on the industry has evolved since playing the titular role in Disney’s Aladdin in 2019. Despite the film’s billion-dollar success, he previously revealed struggling to land auditions in its aftermath.

“I think it's a mentality shift more than anything,” Massoud said. “You can get stuck looking at things in a negative or positive way. At that time, I was younger. Filming Aladdin in 2017 feels like a lifetime ago. I’ve matured and realized how lucky we are to do what we do. There are ups and downs in everything, but keeping your passion alive is what matters most.”

A Special Role in a Rare Genre

Massoud plays Adam in Wish You Were Here, a man grappling with devastating news while rediscovering joy and beauty in life. He stars alongside Isabelle Fuhrman, Jennifer Grey, and Kelsey Grammer.

“These kinds of movies aren’t made often anymore,” he noted. “I was drawn to Adam’s emotional arc. Plus, working with Julia, who has mastered this genre, was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. And Isabelle is such a talented actor—it was a dream to collaborate with her.”

Challenges After Aladdin

Massoud has spoken candidly about the struggles he faced after Aladdin. In a 2019 interview, he shared that he hadn’t received a single audition after the Disney film, despite its massive success. He attributed some of the difficulty to casting biases against his Middle Eastern background.

“People have these ideas in their head,” he said. “I’m not expecting to be handed a role like Batman, but can I at least get in the room? Just give me a chance.”

Since then, Massoud has appeared in Netflix’s The Royal Treatment (2022), the horror film The Sacrifice Game (2023), and now Wish You Were Here.

Advice to His Younger Self

Reflecting on his journey, Massoud shared advice he would give his younger self: “Start earlier.”

“I look at Julia and Isabelle, who started young, and see the advantage in that. I didn’t get into the industry professionally until I was older. But I believe everything happens for a reason.”