It’s his birthday today.
I so respect his work in Hidden Figures, where he plays “support staff” to Taraji Henson.
Some thoughts on actors’ understanding of storytelling functions and how they fit into stories:
Actors are storytellers, and they understand FUNCTION more than regular civilian type people understand it.
When Harrison Ford came and spoke at my school, he answered each question about any given role in terms of story. He understood his FUNCTION in Star Wars, he understood his FUNCTION in Working Girl. Two totally different functions. Know what movie you’re in. In the DVD extras for ’42, Harrison Ford spoke all about function, how his character fit into the story, and how far he wanted to go with his characterization, in order to highlight the real purpose of the story – which was Jackie Robinson. There’s a lack of ego in this kind of work. If you’re the star – like in Air Force One – you will bring your A-List Star Power to bear, because that role’s function requires it. But in Working Girl, he was second-banana to Melanie Griffith. In essence, he played the stereotypical “feminine” role. He knew that and embraced it (even down to the scene where he strips down in his office and all the secretaries ogle.)
I’m fascinated by Ali’s understanding of function.
Hidden Figures came out the same year as Moonlight. In Moonlight, in his Oscar-winning role, he also played “support staff,” but it required different things from him than in Hidden Figures. He’s so central to Moonlight it’s almost a lead role.
In Hidden Figures, he plays a romantic figure, a potential mate for Taraji Henson. There’s complexity in the role. He goofs up in their first interaction. He doesn’t know how to deal with a mathematician woman. He’s never even heard of such a thing. His sexism comes out. It’s beyond his control. (Ali does this so well. He does it in a way that lets you know that this is not a bad man. This is a man of his time, as we all are people of our own time.)
In his next interaction with her, at a party, he tries to let her know that he is interested, but also, without saying anything, that he feels bad about their first interaction. He knows he messed up. She, though, a widow with two children, and a stressful competitive job in a mostly white profession, is not easily romanced or wooed. She’s not dating around. She’s a serious woman.
They dance. He fumbles around with an explanation for his earlier goof. In this interaction, you see that he is not a smoothie, even though he’s catnip for the ladies in his military uniform. He’s not a sweet talker. He’s a good man, who is interested in this woman, but he needs to backtrack around his own fumbled comments to try to get her to trust him, to let him in. He has to own himself, in other words, he has to own his own limitations, he has to own what he said to her so they can move on. It’s not all on her to read his mind and work it out like “Oh, he didn’t mean it, this is just how men are, I’m used to it, I’ll give him another chance.” She makes him work a little bit. I’m old-fashioned. This is how it should be. And it goes both ways. We all need to “prove” that we’re worthy. We need to show up as our best selves. This is especially true once we have more miles on us, and we’ve been hurt, disappointed. She’s a woman of experience and she doesn’t have TIME for a guy who’s not serious, who’s not looking to settle down. She has children.
There are so many layers to what’s going on in this one scene when they dance at the party. He makes her laugh, and she finally says, but with more warmth now, he’s done the job of showing his worth, he’s halfway there: “I still haven’t heard an apology” and he “mans up” (as they say) and apologizes. It’s required. He knows he messed up and he knows she is worth it. Ali plays ALL of this in a scene 5 or 6 minutes long. Actors, watch and learn!
When he finally proposes to her, in front of her daughters and her mother, I become an absolute WRECK, and I’ve seen the movie 10 times by now.
It’s a beautiful and deep performance. He cedes the floor to her. Because that’s his function in the story. This story isn’t about him. It’s about HER, and how he fits into HER narrative.
Some actors have a hard time with this. They want to add dark twisty complexity to a role so they feel like they’re DOING something. It’s not ENOUGH to be a romantic lead, to highlight the desirability of the woman, to be a secondary figure in a drama about women. It’s “triggering” for some male actors.
When the Hidden Figures‘ end credits roll and you read that the real-life couple recently celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary or some insane number like that, you completely believe it, based on the relationship created between the two actors (in not a lot of scenes, I might add. And they only kiss once. It doesn’t matter.)
One last thing: I first clocked him in the movie Kicks – where he only has one scene – and I remember thinking: “Who the HELL. is THAT.” I wrote about it in my review.
He’s so believable I thought he couldn’t be an actor. I thought they must have just “found” this real guy and put him in the movie.
These roles are all so different I am convinced Mahershala Ali can do anything. He can fit into any story. Because he understands function.
UPDATE: I finally caught up with True Detective (I know, I know, I am always years late). I skipped Season 2, on the advice of my friends who are fans, and dove into Season 3. I find Ali’s work absolutely astonishing. He plays three different ages. He is believable at each age. The old man is the result of the young man’s experience. You can see it in his face. His portrayal of old ago is completely authentic. It is a very complicated character and not always likable or relatable. His relationship with his wife was thorny and often strange: deep waters being stirred. A very troubled man, taciturn, gifted, dogged, rigid. Heartbreaking. A major performance.
Thank you so much for stopping by. If you like what I do, and if you feel inclined to support my work, here’s a link to my Venmo account. And I’ve launched a Substack, Sheila Variations 2.0, if you’d like to subscribe.
//I’m old-fashioned. This is how it should be. And it goes both ways. We all need to “prove” that we’re worthy. We need to show up as our best selves.//
I love that. I loved the movie “Hidden Figures” and like you I’ve seen it about a dozen times particularly the last third of the movie. In that movie, his character is also old fashioned and a man of his times, but he genuinely sees her, not just in lust but in like and respect and love. I love his character because unlike most men who don’t know how to really relate to women because they are secretly deadly afraid of them, he willing to step up and see her as she is. I saw the same tenderness in his role in Moonlight. I can understand this because my first husband was not like that and my second and current husband is. We’re not perfect, but we’ve been together almost 30 years now, married 14. I think my husband is the way he is because he has a mother and older sisters who taught him that women are people, too. Some men never get that lesson. As I said, he is not perfect. Somedays, the idea of putting a frying right up side his side is such a compelling visual but he’s worth it. We both are.
So I would like to meet Mr. Ali, because I don’t think any body can act that well and make you see him in that character unless they understand deep down. At least I hope so and I’d love to meet his mother.
Carolyn – thank you for all these thoughts! 30 years!! Congratulations! He sounds like a very good man. I guess we all deserve a frying pan upside the head every now and then. :)
//I love his character because unlike most men who don’t know how to really relate to women because they are secretly deadly afraid of them, he willing to step up and see her as she is. //
This is really well said.
If she’s a serious woman – a grownup woman – then he is a serious and grownup man. He understands her reality – and he knows it would be his job to fit into it – as opposed to the other way around.
In Moonlight, I loved the relationship he had with his girlfriend (wife?) – also a “hidden figure” – and his quiet understanding of the young boy’s issues, and what is needed. So powerful but so understated too – he doesn’t gild the lily or “pour it on”. It’s a realistic characterization of a man who’s made certain choices in his own life, and steps in as father figure for a kid who clearly needs it.
He’s such a lovely actor – and he’s young – I look forward to seeing whatever else he does.
I agree, and I think that that is such a strength of the movie as a whole—the fact that it’s a true ensemble effort. The leads deserve so much credit for bringing depth and warmth, but every single character feels real and lived in—even as the supporting characters don’t overstep or try to hog the limelight. Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Glen Powell—they all know they’re playing second fiddle, you know what? An orchestra without second violins—or with seconds playing like soloists and trying to overwhelm the melody—simply would. Not. Work. (The only possible exception in my mind was the Jim Parsons character.)
As a musician, I actually really like playing second—it requires a different skill set, the ability to blend and follow while not tamping down your own artistic instincts. There’s a beautiful anecdote in the book Imperfect Harmony where the author (who has always sung first soprano) is assigned to sing second and immediately proceeds to have an identity crisis; however, she learns to find the beauty and unique challenge in providing the texture of the harmony.
Lizzie –
// they all know they’re playing second fiddle, you know what? An orchestra without second violins—or with seconds playing like soloists and trying to overwhelm the melody—simply would. Not. Work. //
This is a beautiful analogy. So true! and agreed on Jim Parsons.
I love your thoughts on playing second. This is fascinating.
He’s incredible in True Detective.
Then you have the first season of Luke Cage, where Ali performs his function too well. His character makes an exit and the life gets sucked out of the story. Then you realize the showrunning was sloppy all along and you’re stuck following a bunch of clowns til the bitter end.
I haven’t seen that – yuk – I like your observation very much!
On the topic of Harrison Ford knowing what story he’s in, here is Mark Hamill on Seth Myers talking about exactly that, with bonus Harrison Ford impersonation. (First 90 seconds or so of 4 minutes clip, hoping the youtube clip doesn’t get taken down too fast.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onMm0DLg8CE
Mike – oh my God, that clip! I can’t stop laughing.
“Kid, it’s not that kind of movie.” I am laughing as I type that.
That’s exactly what I was talking about – you’re right! He’s so SOLID on this stuff. Thanks so much for that clip!
Yeah when I saw the link to that (forget where) it was advertised as “Hamill does a great Harrison Ford impression” and I didn’t believe it till I clicked. Really lets you know he’s a professional actor, eh?
Since this is a Mahershala Ali thread, I will second Larry Aydlette’s love for Ali’s season of True Detective, he is so good (so’s his costar there, Stephen Dorff). Also, I think I first saw Ali on House of Cards where he is excellent as always.
Mike – I keep meaning to catch up on True Detective.