Age: 52
male
Mahershala Ali (/məˈhɜːrʃələ/ mə-HUR-shə-lə; born Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore on February 16, 1974) is an American actor. He has received multiple accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019, and in 2020, The New York Times ranked him among the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century. After pursuing an MFA degree from New York University, Ali began his career as a regular on television series Crossing Jordan (2001–02) and Threat Matrix (2003–04), before his breakthrough role as Richard Tyler in the science fiction series The 4400 (2004–07). His first major film role was in the David Fincher-directed fantasy The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). He gained wider attention for supporting roles in the final two films of the original The Hunger Games film series and in House of Cards, for which he received his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Ali won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances as a drug dealer in the drama Moonlight (2016) and as Don Shirley in the comedy-drama Green Book (2018). He is the first Black actor to win two Academy Awards in the same category and the second Black actor to win multiple acting Oscars. Ali won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program for executive producing We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest (2020). In 2019, he played a troubled police officer in the third season of the HBO anthology crime series True Detective, and in 2020, he starred in the second season of the Hulu comedy-drama series Ramy. He was nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards for both performances. Ali has also played Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes in the first season of the Netflix series Luke Cage (2016) and voiced Aaron Davis in the animated films Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). Description above from the Wikipedia article Mahershala Ali, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Mahershala Ali
James Jones
for James Jones in Rising in Stillness: The Maya Angelou Story
Suggested by kamsismith
"Rising in Stillness: The Maya Angelou Story" is an extraordinary biopic that chronicles the life of one of the most influential and inspiring figures of the 20th century. Maya Angelou, born in 1928 as Marguerite Annie Johnson, overcame a difficult childhood marked by trauma and racial discrimination to become a celebrated poet, storyteller, and civil rights activist. This powerful film takes us on a journey through Maya's life as she discovers her love for literature and the written word, and navigates the challenges of racism, poverty, and personal trauma. Her experiences as a nightclub singer, dancer, and civil rights activist intersect with her burgeoning career as a writer, leading her to write the groundbreaking autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." As Maya's literary career soars, the movie captures her pivotal friendships with luminaries like Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., showcasing her integral role in the civil rights movement. The film portrays Maya's unyielding determination, her ability to transform pain into poetry, and her unwavering commitment to social justice. "Rising in Stillness: The Maya Angelou Story" is a poignant and compelling tribute to a remarkable woman who inspired generations with her words and her deeds. This film is a must-see for anyone who seeks to be inspired and empowered by the story of a true American icon.
