Mahershala Ali

Mahershala Ali Headshot

Actor

Birth Date: February 16, 1974

Age: 50 years old

Birth Place: Oakland, California

Mahershala Ali was born Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore on Feb. 16, 1974 in Oakland, CA. He enrolled in St. Mary's College of California on a basketball scholarship, but his passions switched from athletics to acting over the course of his tenure. Following graduation, Ali earned an apprenticeship at the California Shakespeare Theater, and then pursued a Master's degree in acting at New York University. One of Ali's earliest professional roles was that of Dr. Trey Sanders on the series "Crossing Jordan" (NBC 2001-07), shortly after which he starred on "The 4400" (USA 2004-07) as Richard Tyler. Around this time, Ali experimented with a rapping career, releasing the album Curb Side Service (2007) under the stage name Prince Ali. Ali then pursued acting on the big screen; one of his earliest major roles was in David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (2008), which he followed up with parts in the likes of "Crossing Over" (2009) and "Predators" (2010). Back on television, Ali lent his talents to "Treme" (HBO 2010-13) and "House of Cards" (Netflix 2013-), keeping one foot in the realm of cinema for the likes of "The Place Beyond the Pines" (2012) and "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" (2014) and "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" (2015) all the while. His name really began to accrue attention as time went on; Ali earned his first ever Oscar nomination and victory thanks to his supporting role in "Moonlight" (2016), in which he played a kindhearted drug dealer and the surrogate father to a young boy hiding his homosexuality. That same year, Ali costarred on the superhero series "Luke Cage" (Netflix, 2016-18) as villain Cottonmouth Stokes. Two years later, Ali starred in the dramatic film "Green Book" (2018) and lent his voice to the animated movie "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (2018). Around the same time, Ali was also cast as the lead of the third season of the anthology series "True Detective" (HBO 2014-), and starred in the "Alita: Battle Angel" (2019) feature film.

Credits

Blade

Actor
Blade
Movie
2025

Chimp EmpireStream

Narrator
Reality
2023
100%

StandStream

Self
Movie
2023

Leave the World BehindStream

Actor
G. H. Scott
Series
2023
74%

CBS Mornings

Guest
News
2021

A Oscara dobiva...: Green book

Actor
Show
2021

A Oscara dobiva...: Zelena knjiga - Vodic za zivot

Actor
Show
2021

Amend: The Fight for AmericaStream

Self
Docuseries
2021
100%

Swan SongStream

Actor
Cameron
Movie
2021
79%

Swan SongStream

Producer
Movie
2021
79%

Between the World and MeStream

Actor
Movie
2020
95%

A World of CalmStream

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Reality
2020

A World of Calm 06

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2020

We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest

Executive Producer
Show
2020

RamyStream

Actor
Sheikh Malik
Series
2019
94%

Alita: Battle Angel - Behind the Scenes

Actor
Show
2019

TV's Black Renaissance: Reggie Yates in Hollywood

Self
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2019

Today With Hoda & Jenna

Guest
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2019

Alita: Battle AngelStream

Actor
Vector
Movie
2019
62%

Geniale Köpfe

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Colonel Jim Johnson
Show
2018

Stand Up to Cancer

Guest
Show
2018

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Voice
Uncle Aaron/The Prowler
Movie
2018

Green BookStream

Actor
Dr. Donald Shirley
Movie
2018
77%

Comrade DetectiveStream

Guest Voice
Coach
Series
2017
85%

Room 104Stream

Actor
Series
2017
88%

Live with Kelly and Ryan

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Talk
2017

Roxanne Roxanne

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Cross
Movie
2017

Marvel's Luke CageStream

Actor
Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes
Series
2016
87%

Race for the White HouseStream

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Docuseries
2016

Free State of JonesStream

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Moses
Movie
2016
47%

Kicks

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Marlon
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2016

MoonlightStream

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Juan
Movie
2016
98%

Hidden FiguresStream

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Jim Johnson
Movie
2016
93%

Gubagude Ko

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Ochoro
Movie
2016

The Daily Show with Trevor NoahStream

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Talk
2015

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

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2015

Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter

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2015

The Late Late Show With James CordenStream

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Talk
2015

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2Stream

Actor
Boggs
Movie
2015
70%

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

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2014

Last Week Tonight With John OliverStream

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Reporter
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2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

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2014

True DetectiveStream

Actor
Wayne Hays
Series
2014
78%

True Detective

Actor
Wayne Hays
Show
2014

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1Stream

Actor
Boggs
Movie
2014
70%

House of CardsStream

Actor
Remy Danton
Series
2013
77%

House of CardsStream

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Remy Danton
Series
2013
77%

House of Cards: Säsong 1 med kommentarer

Actor
Remy Danton
Show
2012

AlcatrazStream

Guest Star
Series
2012
60%

The Place Beyond the PinesStream

Actor
Kofi
Movie
2012
78%

LIVE with Kelly

Guest
Talk
2011

AlphasStream

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Nathan Clay
Series
2011
81%

TremeStream

Guest Star
Anthony King
Series
2010
97%

The Wronged Man

Actor
Calvin Willis
Movie
2010

PredatorsStream

Actor
Mombasa
Movie
2010
65%

Lie to MeStream

Guest Star
Detective Don Hughes
Series
2009

The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonStream

Actor
Tizzy
Movie
2008
71%

Désastres naturels

Actor
Show
2007

etalk

Guest
Show
2006

The 4400

Actor
Richard Tyler
Series
2004
95%

The Handler

Guest Star
Show
2003

Threat Matrix

Actor
Agent Jelani Harper
Show
2003

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

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Talk
2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

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Talk
2003

Haunted

Guest Star
Show
2002

Crossing JordanStream

Actor
Series
2001

CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationStream

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Tombs' Security Guard
Series
2000

Law & Order: Special Victims UnitStream

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Mark Foster
Series
1999
78%

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

NYPD BlueStream

Guest Star
Rashard Coleman
Series
1993
83%

Good Morning America

Guest
News
1975

Today

Guest
News
1952

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