Mahershala Ali Finally Gets the Leading Role He Deserves
The New York Times
After a string of supporting performances, he steps into the spotlight as not one but two main characters in the sci-fi drama “Swan Song.”
In a more just world, Mahershala Ali, one of America’s most gifted actors, would have played the lead in at least a dozen films by now.
He’s certainly paid his dues and then some. Over the past two decades, the 47-year-old actor has starred or played key roles in prestige series (HBO’s “True Detective”), sci-fi franchises (“The Hunger Games”) and network-defining political thrillers (Netflix’s “House of Cards”). In 2017, he won his first Academy Award for his performance in “Moonlight,” a master class in what you can do with just 20 minutes or so of screen time, and a second Oscar two years later, for his performance in “Green Book.”
So it may come as a shock to learn that Ali has never played the lead role in a feature film before, not until his star turn in the sci-fi drama “Swan Song,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
