Award Shows February 26, 2017
Is Oscar-Winning ‘Moonlight’ Actor Mahershala Ali Returning to ‘House of Cards’?
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“Extra's” Mario Lopez caught up with “Moonlight” star Mahershala Ali before he won the Oscar to find out if he'll be returning to the popular Netflix show “House of Cards."
Ali appeared in the series for three seasons, and had this to say about going back: “All due respect to 'House of Cards.' They created an opening for me to be able to do this work and move forward. I also wouldn't be able to be here if I stayed on the show, so it was just time to move on. I just wanted to be more fulfilled as an actor.”
With his focus on film, Ali has made a huge splash with his role as a drug dealer in “Moonlight,” for which he took home a SAG Award, a Critics' Choice Award and, now, an Oscar. “It's been a little surreal. I'm excited — it's beautiful!” he reflected.
With a new four-day-old baby daughter, Bari Najma Ali, Mahershala included his special gift in his Oscars acceptance speech. "I just want to thank my wife, who was in her third trimester during award season,” he said onstage. "We just had a daughter four days ago. So, I just want to thank her for being such a soldier through this process, and help, and really carrying me through it all.”
