Back when he was a regular on such “classic” TV series as “The 4400” (not terrible sci-fi, I must admit) and “Crossing Jordan,” Mahershala Ali probably didn’t have realistic Oscar aspirations. Fast forward 15-ish years and not only is Ali one of the most respected actors on the planet, but he also has 2 Oscar trophies on his mantle, thanks to his Best Supporting Actor win tonight for “Green Book.”
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Despite an avalanche of controversy surrounding the film, Ali has been the shining center of the “Green Book” universe. No matter what you think of Viggo Mortensen’s use of the N-word in an interview or his classic “white savior” character in the film, as well as the screenwriter’s conspiracy theory-laden Twitter account and director Peter Farrelly’s questionable behavior 20 years ago, everyone can agree that Ali was really great in “Green Book” and deserves all the hardware he’s been receiving during the awards season.
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As alluded to, this isn’t the actor’s first foray in the Oscars winner’s circle. In 2017, Ali won Best Supporting Actor for his role in the eventual Best Picture winner “Moonlight.” That win cemented his status as an A-lister and superstar. Since then, he’s had roles in the aforementioned “Green Book,” as well as the critically-acclaimed Spider-Man film (yes, you can use “critically-acclaimed” and “Spider-Man” in the same sentence) ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ and most recently in “Alita: Battle Angel” and HBO’s “True Detective.”
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At this point, if you have a potentially show-stopping supporting role that requires the best in the world, you better have Mahershala Ali at the front of your Rolodex.
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