Mahershala Ali is an American actor who attended college on a basketball scholarship before discovering a love for acting. He became a series regular on Crossing Jordan in 2001, and by the end of the decade, he had also starred in the science-fiction drama The 4400 and appeared in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. After landing the breakout role of Remy Danton on House of Cards in 2013, Ali enjoyed a sinister turn in the series Luke Cage in 2016. That year he also delivered a strong supporting performance in Moonlight, making Ali the first Muslim actor to claim an Academy Award. He followed with another Oscar win for Green Book (2018).
Known For
Credits
Cast Credits
Invincible (2021)
Guest starring as Titan
(2 episodes)
- Episode 1x05: That Actually Hurt (Apr 9, 2021)
- Episode 1x01: It's About Time (Mar 26, 2021)
Amend: The Fight for America (2021)
Guest starring as Mahershala Ali
(3 episodes)
- Episode 1x06: Promise (Feb 17, 2021)
- Episode 1x02: Resistance (Feb 17, 2021)
- Episode 1x01: Citizen (Feb 17, 2021)
Ramy (2019)
Guest starring as Sheikh Malik
(6 episodes)
- Episode 2x10: You Are Naked in Front of Your Sheikh (May 29, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x08: Frank in the Future (May 29, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x04: Miakhalifa.mov (May 29, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x03: Little Omar (May 29, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x02: Can You Hear Me Now? (May 29, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 2x01: Bay'ah (May 29, 2020) [Special Guest Star]
Comrade Detective (2017)
Guest starring as Coach
- Episode 1x04: Two Films for One Ticket (Aug 4, 2017)
The Envelope (2017)
Guest starring as Mahershalalhashbaz Ali
- Episode 1x04: Supporting Actors (Feb 8, 2017)
Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist (2016)
Guest starring as Mahershala Ali
- Episode 7x04: Mahershala Ali (Jan 23, 2022)
Marvel's Luke Cage (2016)
Starring as Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes
(6 episodes)
- Episode 1x07: Manifest (Sep 30, 2016)
- Episode 1x06: Suckas Need Bodyguards (Sep 30, 2016)
- Episode 1x05: Just to Get a Rep (Sep 30, 2016)
- Episode 1x03: Who's Gonna Take the Weight? (Sep 30, 2016)
- Episode 1x02: Code of the Streets (Sep 30, 2016)
- Episode 1x01: Moment of Truth (Sep 30, 2016)
Race for the White House (2016)
Starring as Narrator
(5 episodes)
- Episode 2x05: Jimmy Carter vs. Gerald Ford (Sep 13, 2020)
- Episode 2x04: Woodrow Wilson vs. Theodore Roosevelt vs. William Howard Taft vs. Eugene Debs (Mar 8, 2020)
- Episode 2x03: Lyndon B. Johnson vs. Barry Goldwater (Mar 1, 2020)
- Episode 2x02: Ronald Reagan vs. Jimmy Carter (Feb 23, 2020)
- Episode 2x01: Barack Obama vs. John McCain (Feb 16, 2020)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (2015)
Guest starring as Mahershalalhashbaz Ali
- Episode 2016-11-29: Mahershala Ali (Nov 29, 2016)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015)
Guest starring as Mahershala Ali
(2 episodes)
- Episode 2021-12-02: Mahershala Ali, Jason Reynolds (Dec 2, 2021)
- Episode 2016-11-15: Anna Kendrick; Mahershala Ali; Chris Gethard (Nov 15, 2016)
The Late Late Show with James Corden (2015)
Guest starring as Mahershala Ali
- Episode 2019-02-18: Mahershala Ali, Aaron Sorkin, Julia Michaels & Niall Horan (Feb 18, 2019)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014)
Guest starring as Mahershala Ali
- Episode 2018-11-19: Mahershala Ali, Chris Colfer, Blake Mycoskie, Michael Bublé (Nov 19, 2018)
True Detective (2014)
Starring as Det. Wayne Hays
(8 episodes)
- Episode 3x08: Now Am Found (Feb 24, 2019)
- Episode 3x07: The Final Country (Feb 17, 2019)
- Episode 3x06: Hunters in the Dark (Feb 10, 2019)
- Episode 3x05: If You Have Ghosts (Feb 3, 2019)
- Episode 3x04: The Hour and the Day (Jan 27, 2019)
- Episode 3x03: The Big Never (Jan 20, 2019)
- Episode 3x02: Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (Jan 13, 2019)
- Episode 3x01: The Great War and Modern Memory (Jan 13, 2019)
House of Cards (2013)
Starring as Remy Danton
(33 episodes)
- Episode 4x13: Chapter 52 (Mar 4, 2016)
- Episode 4x12: Chapter 51 (Mar 4, 2016)
- Episode 4x11: Chapter 50 (Mar 4, 2016)
- Episode 4x06: Chapter 45 (Mar 4, 2016)
- Episode 4x05: Chapter 44 (Mar 4, 2016)
- Episode 4x02: Chapter 41 (Mar 4, 2016)
- Episode 3x12: Chapter 38 (Feb 27, 2015)
- Episode 3x11: Chapter 37 (Feb 27, 2015)
- Episode 3x10: Chapter 36 (Feb 27, 2015)
- Episode 3x09: Chapter 35 (Feb 27, 2015)
- Episode 3x08: Chapter 34 (Feb 27, 2015)
- Episode 3x07: Chapter 33 (Feb 27, 2015)
- Episode 3x05: Chapter 31 (Feb 27, 2015)
- Episode 3x04: Chapter 30 (Feb 27, 2015)
- Episode 3x03: Chapter 29 (Feb 27, 2015)
- Episode 3x02: Chapter 28 (Feb 27, 2015)
- Episode 3x01: Chapter 27 (Feb 27, 2015)
- Episode 2x13: Chapter 26 (Feb 14, 2014)
- Episode 2x12: Chapter 25 (Feb 14, 2014)
- Episode 2x11: Chapter 24 (Feb 14, 2014)
- Episode 2x10: Chapter 23 (Feb 14, 2014)
- Episode 2x09: Chapter 22 (Feb 14, 2014)
- Episode 2x08: Chapter 21 (Feb 14, 2014)
- Episode 2x07: Chapter 20 (Feb 14, 2014)
- Episode 2x06: Chapter 19 (Feb 14, 2014)
- Episode 2x04: Chapter 17 (Feb 14, 2014)
- Episode 1x13: Chapter 13 (Feb 1, 2013)
- Episode 1x12: Chapter 12 (Feb 1, 2013)
- Episode 1x10: Chapter 10 (Feb 1, 2013)
- Episode 1x09: Chapter 9 (Feb 1, 2013)
- Episode 1x08: Chapter 8 (Feb 1, 2013)
- Episode 1x04: Chapter 4 (Feb 1, 2013)
- Episode 1x02: Chapter 2 (Feb 1, 2013)
Alcatraz (2012)
Guest starring as Clarence Montgomery
- Episode 1x10: Clarence Montgomery (Mar 12, 2012)
Alphas (2011)
Guest starring as Nathan Cley
(11 episodes)
- Episode 2x13: God's Eye (Oct 22, 2012)
- Episode 2x11: If Memory Serves (Oct 8, 2012)
- Episode 2x10: Life After Death (Oct 1, 2012)
- Episode 2x08: Falling (Sep 17, 2012)
- Episode 2x04: When Push Comes to Shove (Aug 13, 2012)
- Episode 2x02: The Quick and the Dead (Jul 30, 2012)
- Episode 2x01: Wake Up Call (Jul 23, 2012)
- Episode 1x10: The Unusual Suspects (Sep 19, 2011)
- Episode 1x07: Catch and Release (Aug 22, 2011)
- Episode 1x03: Anger Management (Jul 25, 2011)
- Episode 1x02: Cause & Effect (Jul 18, 2011)
Made in Hollywood (2005)
Guest starring as Mahershala Ali
- Episode 17x14: Hollywood at Home: Spider-Man: No Way Home, Swan Song, Back to the Outback (Dec 18, 2021)
The 4400 (2004)
Starring as Richard Tyler
(28 episodes)
- Episode 3x13: Fifty-Fifty (Aug 27, 2006)
- Episode 3x12: Terrible Swift Sword (Aug 20, 2006)
- Episode 3x11: The Gospel According to Collier (Aug 13, 2006)
- Episode 3x10: The Starzl Mutation (Aug 6, 2006)
- Episode 3x09: The Ballad of Kevin & Tess (Jul 30, 2006)
- Episode 3x08: Blink (Jul 23, 2006)
- Episode 3x07: The Home Front (Jul 16, 2006)
- Episode 3x06: Graduation Day (Jul 9, 2006)
- Episode 3x05: Gone: Part II (Jul 2, 2006)
- Episode 3x04: Gone: Part I (Jun 25, 2006)
- Episode 3x03: Being Tom Baldwin (Jun 18, 2006)
- Episode 3x02: The New World: Part 2 (Jun 11, 2006)
- Episode 3x01: The New World: Part 1 (Jun 11, 2006)
- Episode 2x13: Mommy's Bosses (Aug 28, 2005)
- Episode 2x12: The Fifth Page (Aug 21, 2005)
- Episode 2x11: Lockdown (Aug 14, 2005)
- Episode 2x09: Rebirth (Jul 31, 2005)
- Episode 2x06: As Fate Would Have It (Jul 10, 2005)
- Episode 2x05: Suffer the Children (Jun 26, 2005)
- Episode 2x04: Weight of the World (Jun 19, 2005)
- Episode 2x03: Voices Carry (Jun 12, 2005)
- Episode 2x02: Wake-Up Call: Part 2 (Jun 5, 2005)
- Episode 2x01: Wake-Up Call: Part 1 (Jun 5, 2005)
- Episode 1x05: White Light (Aug 8, 2004)
- Episode 1x04: Trial by Fire (Aug 1, 2004)
- Episode 1x03: Becoming (Jul 25, 2004)
- Episode 1x02: The New & Improved Carl Morrissey (Jul 18, 2004)
- Episode 1x01: The Return (Jul 11, 2004)
Guest starring as Richard Tyler
(2 episodes)
- Episode 4x10: One of Us (Aug 19, 2007) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 4x09: Daddy's Little Girl (Aug 12, 2007) [Special Guest Star]
Threat Matrix (2003)
Starring as Jelani Harper
(16 episodes)
- Episode 1x16: Cambodia ()
- Episode 1x15: 19 Seconds ()
- Episode 1x14: Extremist Makeover (Jan 29, 2004)
- Episode 1x13: Stochastic Variable (Jan 22, 2004)
- Episode 1x12: PPX (Jan 15, 2004)
- Episode 1x11: Mexico (Jan 8, 2004)
- Episode 1x10: Flipping (Dec 4, 2003)
- Episode 1x09: Cold Cash (Nov 13, 2003)
- Episode 1x08: Under the Gun (Nov 6, 2003)
- Episode 1x07: Alpha-126 (Oct 30, 2003)
- Episode 1x06: In Plane Sight (Oct 23, 2003)
- Episode 1x05: Patriot Acts (Oct 16, 2003)
- Episode 1x04: Natural Borne Killers (Oct 9, 2003)
- Episode 1x03: Doctor Germ (Oct 2, 2003)
- Episode 1x02: Veteran's Day (Sep 25, 2003)
- Episode 1x01: Pilot (Sep 18, 2003)
The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003)
Guest starring as Mahershala Ali
- Episode 2019-01-08: Mahershala Ali, Saoirse Ronan (Jan 8, 2019)
Jimmy Kimmel Live (2003)
Guest starring as Mahershala Ali
(2 episodes)
- Episode 2023-12-06: Mahershala Ali, Greta Lee, Grupo Frontera (Dec 6, 2023)
- Episode 2019-01-09: Mahershala Ali, Maura Tierney, Jeff Tweedy (Jan 9, 2019)
Crossing Jordan (2001)
Starring as Dr. Trey Sanders
(19 episodes)
- Episode 1x19: For Harry, with Love and Squalor (Apr 8, 2002)
- Episode 1x18: With Honor (Mar 18, 2002)
- Episode 1x17: Crime & Punishment (Mar 4, 2002)
- Episode 1x16: Lost and Found (Feb 25, 2002)
- Episode 1x15: Acts of Mercy (Feb 4, 2002)
- Episode 1x14: Four Fathers (Jan 28, 2002)
- Episode 1x13: Miracles & Wonders (Jan 21, 2002)
- Episode 1x12: Blood Relatives (Jan 14, 2002)
- Episode 1x11: Wrong Place, Wrong Time (Jan 7, 2002)
- Episode 1x10: Blue Christmas (Dec 10, 2001)
- Episode 1x09: Digger: Part II (Nov 26, 2001)
- Episode 1x08: Digger: Part I (Nov 19, 2001)
- Episode 1x07: Sight Unseen (Nov 12, 2001)
- Episode 1x06: Believers (Oct 29, 2001)
- Episode 1x05: You Can't Go Home Again (Oct 22, 2001)
- Episode 1x04: Born to Run (Oct 15, 2001)
- Episode 1x03: The Ties That Bind (Oct 8, 2001)
- Episode 1x02: The Dawn of a New Day (Oct 1, 2001)
- Episode 1x01: Pilot (Sep 24, 2001)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
Guest starring as Mark Foster
- Episode 11x01: Unstable (Sep 23, 2009)
Oscars (1953)
Guest starring as Mahershala Ali
(5 episodes)
- Episode 2024-03-10: The 96th Annual Academy Awards (Mar 10, 2024)
- Episode 2020-02-09: The 92nd Annual Academy Awards (Feb 9, 2020)
- Episode 2019-02-24: The 91st Annual Academy Awards (Feb 24, 2019)
- Episode 2018-03-04: The 90th Annual Academy Awards (Mar 4, 2018)
- Episode 2017-02-26: The 89th Annual Academy Awards (Feb 26, 2017)
Today (1952)
Guest starring as Mahershala Ali
- Episode 2023-12-04: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Liz Cheney, Kenan Thompson, Brad Paisley (Dec 4, 2023)
The Emmy Awards (1949)
Guest starring as Mahershala Ali
- Episode 2020-09-20: The 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards 2020 (Sep 20, 2020)