Mahershala Ali

Mahershala Ali
REX/Shutterstock

Details

Date of Birth:
February 16, 1974
Height:
6' 2"
Hometown:
Oakland

Bio:
Mahershala Ali (born Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore in Oakland, California on February 16, 1974) did not discover acting until he was in college. After graduating from Santa Monica College, he entered an apprenticeship at the California Shakespeare Theatre and eventually got a Masters from New York University for acting in 2000. He has since gained recognition for his work on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, House of Cards, and Moonlight. Mahershala won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Supporting Actor for his role in Moonlight. On Feb. 26, 2017, Mahershala won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Moonlight. He became the first Muslim to actor to ever win an Oscar.

Best Known For:
Mahershala is best known for his performance on House of Cards and his award winning role in Moonlight.

Personal Life:
Mahershala is married to Amatus Sami-Karim. Just four days before the Oscars in 2017, his wife gave birth to the couple’s first daughter. They named her Bari Najma Ali.