Mahershala Ali

Notable Quotes



I was supremely fortunate to do several projects that I'm really excited about. So within all that, there's a lot going on this year. I'm excited about 2016.

From Mahershala Ali

'Free State of Jones' went beyond that. It got into how the South wasn't as homogenous as we thought it was - or even the North for that matter, where we like to assume everyone wanted to free the slaves and they were all abolitionists. It actually shows how complex these ideologies were on both sides.

From Mahershala Ali

When I was growing up, I was told you could be anything you want to be, but I didn't really believe that because you couldn't be president. Like, I knew that; we never had a black president.

From Mahershala Ali

Kids feel like they have to puff up or shrink. These reclusive qualities begin to develop because you feel that who you are is going to either be accepted or rejected by your family and friends.

From Mahershala Ali

The things that people won't totally accept come in all shapes and sizes and forms, and I can relate to that in my own youth.

From Mahershala Ali

I know someone from growing up who is in jail right now for the rest of his life, but he was one of the sweetest people I ever knew.

From Mahershala Ali

People do bad things, but that doesn't mean they don't have other colors or qualities.

From Mahershala Ali

I approach things from my feeling first. I have to get a feel for the character. I'll do that through music; I'll do it through what is naturally popping up for me when I read the script. My ideas or whatever the occupation of the character might be.

From Mahershala Ali

There's this Method Man album called 'Tical.' It's his first album. I would just listen to that every day, because the album feels like, if it were a film, it would be black and white. It feels like there's a war percolating throughout the album itself. It's dark, and it has a nice forward pace to it.

From Mahershala Ali

I always felt that Jay Z, if he had a different upbringing, could be on Wall Street or in politics. If you really listen to Jay Z talk, he's kind of the smartest guy in the room.

From Mahershala Ali

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