Mahershala Ali Quotes

United States, Television Actor
February 16, 1974

Mahershalalhashbaz Ali Gilmore (; né Gilmore; February 16, 1974), known professionally as Mahershala Ali, is an American actor and rapper. Ali began his career as a regular on television series, such as Crossing Jordan and Threat Matrix, before his breakthrough role as Richard Tyler in the science fiction series The 4400. His first major film release was in the 2008 David Fincher-directed romantic fantasy drama film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and his other notable films include Predators, The Place Beyond the Pines, Free State of Jones, Hidden Figures, and as Boggs in The Hunger Games series. Ali is also known for his roles in the Netflix series House of Cards as Remy Danton and as Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes in Luke Cage.

Also known as Film Actor, Stage Actor, Rapper

'Luke Cage' is about a reluctant superhero who lives in the shadows in Harlem. He has to decide if he's going to step up and fight for the heart of the city and defend the people against Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes, my character, who kinda wants to keep everything in order and intact. I'm the criminal element in the story.

Mahershala Ali
- People
- Up
- Heart
At a certain point in my career, I was probably having a difficult time 'holding space.' So you get a character that has to be commanding in order for him to resonate and make sense.

Mahershala Ali
- Time
- Character
- Career

I converted Dec. 31, 1999. It was a Friday. That was my second time going to the mosque. The woman who is my wife now... was basically raised Muslim - and she was at that point where she was deciding or trying to come to terms with her own relationship with Islam and how to embrace that for herself.

Mahershala Ali
- Time
- Trying
- She
For my characters, it's important to get really specific about what they listen to. Because it affects how they move in the world.

Mahershala Ali
- World
- Important
- Listen
I wanted to take on my full name, which was sort of a crazy thing to do considering that we're in Hollywood.

Mahershala Ali
- Crazy
- Name
- Hollywood
I loved going to superhero films growing up - you come home, and you pretend to be those people, and it ends up informing much of what you aspire to be. And that's what I will say is important about the genre.

Mahershala Ali
- People
- Up
- Important
Coming off 'House of Cards,' playing someone so straight-laced, I was getting offered a lot of F.B.I. agents.

Mahershala Ali
- House
- Someone
- Cards
I owe a lot to my time on 'House of Cards' because, up until I booked that show, I had been working consistently for 12 years, but I wasn't working on anything that mattered in the way 'House of Cards' did to its audience, to casting directors, to directors and producers. The show hit this sweet spot.

Mahershala Ali
- Up
- Time
- House

As a kid, my dad would take me to see indie films when I would visit him in New York. Films that I just wouldn't see growing up in the Bay Area.

Mahershala Ali
- Up
- Growing
- Me
I don't really compare any of the characters I play; I try to go into them being very open to what the characters can offer and what I can bring to them and then bring a being to life.

Mahershala Ali
- Life
- Play
- Try
I think #OscarsSoWhite is about there not truly being enough people of color represented.

Mahershala Ali
- People
- Think
- Color