American actor Mahershala Ali is a versatile gem of the entertainment industry. He has proved that he is extremely talented through his excellent performances. The shift in his career came in 2008 after he starred as Tizzy in David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008).
The opportunity was big for Ali as it was his first major role in Hollywood, however, the role required him to do something that his religion doesn’t allow. Mahershala Ali converted to Islam in 2000, changing his surname from Gilmore to Ali. The role in Fincher’s movie required him to film a s*x scene. Ali was ready to give up on that opportunity just because of this reason.
Mahershala Ali appeared in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
David Fincher’s 2008 movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, was a massive hit. The Romance/Drama won three Academy Awards and several BAFTA awards. The movie featured some big Hollywood stars including Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, and Taraji P. Henson.
The movie also featured actor Mahershala Ali, who played the role of Tizzy. This was Ali’s first major Hollywood film. The movie was about Benjamin Button, a person suffering from a rare aging problem, who aged backward.
Mahershala Ali almost lost the role
Recently, Mahershala Ali appeared on the Mind Power Mixtape podcast and revealed that he was ready to walk away from the role because he was asked to film a s*x scene,
“So my old agent called me and said, ‘Mahershala, you got the part’ and I said, ‘There’s just one thing… there is that one sex scene where they kiss. If there’s a sex scene, I can’t do it. Taraji and I begin to kiss, and we fall out of the frame … It wasn’t clear if [David Fincher] was trying to have like some bumping and grinding, which I doubt he was but for me even, at that time, 15 years ago, I was still like, ‘OK, I can only go up to this point,’ just because of – just trying to hold a space of respect for my religion.”
In 2000, Mahershala Ali converted to Islam and changed his surname from Gilmore to Ali. His religion didn’t allow him to film such scenes and that is why he was ready to give up on that role.
Mahershala Ali was told that he will never find work
In another interview, Mahershala Ali revealed that he told the head of casting at Fox in 2002 that he will not film any s*x scenes and he was then told that he will never be successful. The actor said,
“Before that, in 2002, I told the head of casting at Fox, ‘I don’t do s-x scenes,’ and she’s like, ‘You’ll never work. You’ll never be a lead’ and what was great was I walked out of there feeling like if I do then it’ll be evidence that god is real. I felt that way about it. I didn’t say that to her, but it didn’t shake me.”
The actor went on to win two Academy Awards for his roles in Moonlight (2016) and Green Book (2018). He is also known for voicing Aaron Davis/Prowler in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. He will also make an appearance in Marvel’s upcoming project, Blade.
Mahershala Ali continues to push boundaries and challenge himself with each new role, solidifying his status as a talented and highly respected actor in the entertainment industry.
Source: Mind Power Mixtape podcast
