By Karina Patel, Courier Staff Writer
Mahershala Ali, an East Bay native, had just won an Oscar for Best Supporting actor.
Born on February 16, 1974, in Oakland, California, Mahershalalhashbaz “Mahershala” Ali was raised by his parents in Hayward, California. Raised as a Christian by his mother, an ordained minister, he later converted to Islam and changed his last from Gilmore to Ali.
When Mahershala Ali was in Graduate School he was introduced to a mosque after he was having doubts about the “divinity of Jesus”. This is where his interest in converting began to spark.
Mahershala Ali is an American-Muslim actor who has appeared in many shows such as Crossing Jordan and House of Cards and not to mention one of the latest films, Hidden Figures. Ali is most known for his portrayal of Remy Danton in the Netflix series House of Cards and Colonel Boggs in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 & 2.
Yet, one of his most recognizable movie accomplishments had been his performance in the drama film Moonlight (2016). In this movie, he played the role of a mentor for a young boy named Chiron, where he comforts the boy and advises him that it’s okay to be your own person and choose your own path. Not only did this movie make almost 26 million dollars in the box office but it landed Ali on of the biggest awards of the year. For his amazing performance, Ali won Best Supporting Actor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Critics Choice Movie Awards, and 28 other award associations.
Not only did he secure many awards, he made history by becoming the first Muslim actor to win an an Academy Award for Motion Pictures, also known as the “Oscars”. In his speech, he says”What I’ve learned from working on ‘Moonlight’ is we see what happens when you persecute people. They fold into themselves. And what I was so grateful about in having the opportunity to play Juan was playing a gentleman who saw a young man folding into himself as a result of the persecution of his community,” Ali said. He also talks about his conversion to Islam, “the details that make us all different,” he said.
Congratulations to local Mahershala Ali for his Oscar-winning performance and for making history!