During the 89th Academy Awards, Mahershala Ali gave an amazing, yet humble speech after his Best Supporting Actor win for “Moonlight.” Thanking those in his life who helped him achieve such a deserved award and nomination. His success is a true statement to his hard work.
US Actor Mahershala Ali delivers a speech on stage after he won the award for Best Supporting Actor in “Moonlight” at the 89th Oscars on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. / AFP / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
“I want to thank my teachers, my professors,” the “Moonlight” actor began. “And one thing that they consistently told me. . . [is] that it wasn’t about you. It’s not about you, it’s about these characters, you are a servant. You’re in service to these stories and these characters.”
He went on to thank “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins, and the cast and crew of the film, while also showing love to his wife and four-day-old daughter.
“I want to thank her for being such a soldier through this process, and carrying me through it all,” he said,
This win comes at an interesting time given the current state of how Muslims are being treated by the President of the United States and his cabinet members with restricting travel on individuals from several Muslim-majority nations. While Ali is the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar, he is the fifth black actor to achieve a Supporting Actor Oscar.