Mahershala Ali has been contributing his trademark fixed and resonant acting to films and television under the radar for decades. While he’s most recognized as the villainous antagonist Cottonmouth in Marvel’s Luke Cage, he has since won two Academy Awards for his performances in the films Moonlight and The Green Book.
Ali and his magical smile move between genres with ease. He can pull off roles in major comic book adaptations, small independent productions, and episodic melodramas. Ali received additional acclaim for his starring role in the third season of HBO’s True Detective, cementing his status as one of the most talented actors in Hollywood today. Here are his 10 best roles, based on their Rotten Tomatoes ranking.
House Of Cards (2013-2018) - 78%
This Shakespearean political drama was at the forefront of binge-worthy Netflix melodramas. Adapted from a BBC show with the same name, House of Cards uses Washington, D.C. as a backdrop for explorations of greed, power, and evil.
Ali plays Remy Danton, a lobbyist for natural gas companies who previously served as Frank Underwood’s Press Secretary. He’s eventually brought back into Underwood’s world, becoming his Chief of Staff. Danton is so disillusioned by Underwood’s behavior, though, that he eventually quits. His involvement with Underwood causes him to leave politics for good.
True Detective (2019) - 78%
Ali brought True Detective back from the grave after its disappointing second season with his portrayal of a Vietnam veteran turned Arkansas police officer haunted by the unsolved case of a missing girl. The third season of the show spans decades, honing in on three years: 1980, 1990, and 2015.
As Wayne Hays, Ali brings to life the traumas of war, police work, and familial toil. As he ages, he suffers memory loss and hallucinations, often unable to distinguish reality from fantasy. With breathtaking realism, Ali brings this complicated character to life.
The Place Beyond The Pines (2013) - 79%
This ensemble crime drama digs into love, loss, robbery, and the consequences of past mistakes. Ryan Gosling stars as a stuntman named Luke who attempts to reconnect with his former girlfriend, Romina, played by Eva Mendes. Ali’s character Kofi is the current boyfriend of Romina. As Luke interjects in their lives more and more, tensions rise between the two men.
The film also includes performances from Bradley Cooper, Dane DeHaan, and Rose Byrne. While it seemed to fly under the radar, The Place Beyond The Pines is an intense, intergenerational drama worth watching.
Kicks (2016) - 87%
This fantastical and youthful flick tells the story of a teenager named Brandon who finally gets his hands on a pair of Air Jordans, only to have them stolen by local bullies. Brandon, along with his friends, embarks on a journey around Oakland, California to find and retrieve his beloved kicks.
In Kicks, Ali plays Marlon, Brandon’s Uncle, of the kid’s stops on his journey. Marlon gives his nephew advice and helps him along his way.
Marvel’s Luke Cage (2016) - 88%
Ali wowed not just comic book fans, but wider audiences with his captivating take on villainry through his portrayal of Cottonmouth in Marvel’s Luke Cage. Even though he doesn’t survive the first season, Ali’s role continues to be one of the show’s highlights.
As Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes, Ali is a vicious businessman and drug dealer creating problems for Harlem’s residents. Ali brings depth and substance to a role that could have easily become one-dimensional.
Hidden Figures (2017) - 93%
In this biopic about the black female mathematicians whose work made it possible for NASA astronauts to make it to space, Ali plays the love interest of Katherine Goble, brought to life by Taraji P. Henson, one of the most talented quants to ever grace NASA’s halls.
Lt. Jim Johnson hurts his chances for love at first by expressing skepticism about women’s math skills. He eventually apologizes, and he and Goble eventually marry. Goble is still alive today.
The 4400 (2004-2007) - 95%
The 4400 is a science fiction series that aired on CBS between 2004 and 2007. In it, 4400 people are deposited in the Cascade Range foothills near Mount Rainier, Washington. Since 1946, all 4400 disappeared after being sucked up into a while light. None of them have aged since their disappearances, and none of them know what happened in the meantime.
Ali plays one of the disappeared, a man named Richard Tyler who went missing in 1951. The 4400 predicted the supernatural, super-powered themes that would come to dominate television and film in the coming decade, and it’s marked by wonderful performances from a diverse cast.
Treme (2011-2012) - 96%
This beloved HBO drama follows New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. As it works to rebuild itself and its cultural institutions, generations come forth to cope with the severity of the disaster.
Ali appears in six episodes over the course of the show, playing private investigator Anthony King. His character works with Antoinette Bernette on the Abreu case, and with L.P. Everett on his investigative journalism.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) - 97%
This refreshing animated reimagining of Spider-Man follows a mixed-race teenager named Miles as he becomes the famed superhero. Ali voices one of Spider-Man’s nemeses, Prowler, who, in the movie, starts off as career criminal Aaron Davis.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was both a critical and theatrical success, bringing in large profits while entertaining the masses and film experts alike. It’s seen a diverse, fun, and smart feature in a sea of superhero movies that tend to suffer from a lack of compelling narratives.
Moonlight (2016) - 98%
Ali won his first Oscar for his role in this stunning coming-of-age drama set in Miami. In Moonlight, Ali plays Juan, a Cuban drug dealer who provides solace and refuge for Chiron, struggling with both his sexuality and his relationship with his drug-addicted mother.
Despite being seen by society at large as a criminal, Juan is a sensitive, perceptive man, who assures Chiron that he has nothing to be ashamed of if the youngster believes he’s gay. In a world overrun with racialized media portrayals of black men, the relationship between Chiron and Juan is one of the most splendid friendships to ever grace the big screen.
