Found: Waleed Aly’s mysterious Mustafa is Here Come The Habibs’ Tyler De Nawi

IT WAS the question all Logies viewers were asking: Who is the mysterious Mustafa Waleed Aly mentioned?

HERE Come the Habibs star Tyler De Nawi has been revealed as the mysterious “Mustafa” Waleed Aly referred to in his Gold Logie acceptance speech last night.

The Project star dedicated his win to those with an “unpronounceable name”, and went on to reveal that another person in the Logies ballroom had changed their name from “Mustafa” for fear of not getting work.

“Not so long ago actually … someone who is in this room, and I’m not going to use the name they use in the industry, came up to me, introduced themselves and said to me, ‘I really hope you win. My name is Mustafa. But I can’t use that name because I won’t get a job’.”

Acting manager Anthony Kidd has confirmed to news.com.au that his client Tyler De Nawi, 26, is the mysterious “Mustafa”.

Tyler De Nawi stars in Here Come The Habibs, which has been commissioned for a second season by Channel 9. Picture: Channel Nine

Kidd said he would leave it to De Nawi to explain why he changed his name, but he said it was a common practice among actors to change their names “for a lot of different reasons”.

“That’s something Tyler felt he needed to do,” Kidd told news.com.au.

“The positive of it all is that casting directors over the past few years have become much more open and diverse (in their casting choices).”

Will the real Mustafa please stand up #whoismustafa

— Tyler De Nawi (@tylerdenawi) May 9, 2016

De Nawi, a Lebanese Australian, took to Twitter this afternoon with two posts answering the mystery — the first using the hashtag #whoismustafa, which started in the wake of Aly’s speech.

In the first he wrote: “Will the real Mustafa please stand up #whoismustafa”.

Mustafa is a very common name in the Muslim world. In Arabic, it means “the chosen one”.

Mustafa = The Chosen One #freemustafa

— Tyler De Nawi (@tylerdenawi) May 9, 2016

Kidd, who has been representing De Nawi for 18 months, said he was a talent to watch.

“The minute he walked through my door I knew he was something special,” Kidd said.

“He has a special connection and passion for the industry. He’s the real deal.”

The “Mustafa” anecdote in Aly’s speech, which more broadly called for diversity on TV, struck a chord with viewers, many wondering who Mustafa was.

Here Come The Habibs, a culture clash comedy that parachuted a family of Lebanese Australians into Sydney’s posh eastern suburbs, was a breakout hit for Channel 9 earlier this year.

It’s creator, Rob Shehadie, a Lebanese Australian, has carved out a career as a a writer, stand-up comedian and actor on shows including Pizza, Swift and Swift Couriers and Housos before the Habibs.

He said he had never experienced anything like his young Habib’s star De Nawi’s experience ‘but my name’s Rob on my birth certificate’.

“I’ve never experienced, but clearly Tyler felt it was something he had to do, because that is his experience,” Shehadie said.

“In the end it doesn’t matter what your name is, you can’t change your appearance — and it comes down to what people are looking for, what the show is.”

“I used to crack jokes that I’d love to play a doctor one day — it’s like with any show, If you are Asian you are going to be cast as Asian in the show, if you’re Middle Eastern you’ll be stereotyped as that — there’s just not that many opportunities overall in Australia for all actors.”

Shehadie has created his own niche to keep him in fulltime employment — working as a comedian, a show creator, and doing stand-up comedy.

@tylerdenawi
Is it true? Are you "Moustafa"?
I'm sorry, that you had to endure that, if you are. #InSolidarity #WaleedAly

— Mariam Veiszadeh (@MariamVeiszadeh) May 9, 2016

Tyler De Nawi (second from left) with his Here Come The Habibs co-stars Sam Alhaje, Rob Shehadie and Kat Housos.

“I always encourage the young actors in our show (the Habibs) to open up their horizons — to look for other avenues like MC-ing and presenting because waiting for acting jobs in Australia — there’s just not enough work,” he said.

“If we had enough jobs everywhere I don’t think people would be limited on who gets cast — that’s the major problem — there’s not enough local productions.”

“People had a go at the Habibs before it came out, but I kept reminding people: ‘Hold on I’ve just given 150 people work — from cameramen to editors to production people to new, young actors nobody has heard of.’

“I remember Rebel Wilson was working at Greater Union in Castle Hill while acting in Australia — so there’s a great example.

“I have to rely on my stand-up comedy and stage shows to make a living — if you were to sit back and just wait for acting roles … I’m telling you, you’d be hungry.”

Shehadie said last night’s Logies, Aly’s win, and the fact the Habibs has been renewed by Channel Nine are all evidence Australia, and Australian TV, is changing.

“YI don’t think we need to dig too deep into it. You could sense it last night in the room. The feeling towards Waleed and (fellow Gold Logie nominee) Lee Lin Chin — people wanted them to win — they were the underdogs and we as Australians love that — we want to see them win,” Shehadie said.

“I have always hoped that Australia will one day be like America. You can ask anyone in America ‘where are you from?’ and they will say: ‘I’m American’ — doesn’t matter whether they are of Asian or Indian descent or whatever.

“And we will get there — we’re still a young country, — and we will get there.”

Tyler De Nawi (right) with Gary Sweet and Sam Alhaje at last night’s Channel 9 Logies after-party. Picture: Les O'Rourke