Can Mahershala Ali play the piano?
His transformation started at the piano. Photograph by Tim Walker; Styled by Sara Moonves. Whether he’s playing a Florida drug dealer with a moral compass in Moonlight or a slick Capitol Hill operative in House of Cards, Mahershala Ali possesses a dignity and elegance that’s all too natural to him.
Who is the piano player in Green Book?
In the segregation-era film Green Book, Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali stars as Dr. Don Shirley, a real-life world-class black pianist.
Can Muhammad Ali really play the piano?
In several scenes, with the grace that Ali always seems to exude no matter who he's portraying, his fingers fly across his piano keys in a way that look so masterful you can't help but wonder, "Is that really him playing the piano?" The question is a credit to Ali's acting, since no, he isn't the one pulling those notes from that Steinway piano.
What makes Mahershala Ali such a good actor?
Whether he’s playing a Florida drug dealer with a moral compass in Moonlight or a slick Capitol Hill operative in House of Cards, Mahershala Ali possesses a dignity and elegance that’s all too natural to him.
Who is Mahershala Ali?
By Maddy Shaw Roberts. Here’s exactly how Mahershala Ali became a virtuosic jazz pianist in the space of a few months (hint: he had a little help from a real-life virtuosic jazz pianist). Mahershala Ali gives a very good impression of being an exceptional jazz pianist in Green Book, the controversial winner of Best Picture at ...
What opera did Ali play in?
He also wrote a number of piano concertos, three string quartets and a set of 'Variations' on Offenbach ’s opera, Orpheus in the Underworld. Ali’s portrayal of Shirley earned him his second Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Green Book, after picking up the award in 2017 for Moonlight.
Who wrote the score for Green Book?
But the real musicianship comes from Kris Bowers, the extraordinary 29-year-old American composer who wrote the film score for Green Book and doubled Ali’s piano playing. Mahershala Ali poses at the 91st Annual Academy Awards. Picture: Getty.
Who played Don Shirley in the movie?
Ali, who picked up an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance, plays the real-life black composer and classical and jazz pianist Don Shirley. The film follows Shirley’s battle with racism during his concert tour of the US Deep South in the early 1960s.
Who plays Don Shirley in Green Book?
In the segregation-era film Green Book, Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali stars as Dr. Don Shirley, a real-life world-class black pianist. In several scenes, with the grace that Ali always seems to exude no matter who he's portraying, his fingers fly across his piano keys in a way that look so masterful you can't help but wonder, ...
What is the Green Book?
The two abide by the "Green Book," which serves as a guide for African-Americans to what establishments are safe to visit, as they navigate the long road trip together.
Is Ali the one pulling notes from the piano?
The question is a credit to Ali's acting , since no, he isn't the one pulling those notes from that Steinway piano. When we're not lost in the fierce concentration on Ali's face during those performance scenes, it's actually the fingers of film composer Kris Bowers that we're riveted by.
Who plays Don Shirley in Moonlight?
Whether he’s playing a Florida drug dealer with a moral compass in Moonlight or a slick Capitol Hill operative in House of Cards, Mahershala Ali possesses a dignity and elegance that’s all too natural to him. That poised sense of self truly shines when playing Don Shirley, a virtuoso pianist who had to perform his way through ...
Who is Don Shirley?
Dr. Don Shirley. The man with three doctorates. [ Laughs.] No I wasn’t. I wasn’t aware of a Don Shirley, and so immediately I start looking for his music on iTunes, and digging to see what I could find. I found him in a documentary called Lost Bohemia. It was the only real footage I could get of him. And that’s where I sort of began to get ideas and sort of discover his rhythms and just how he carried himself. But you see someone on video, you can kinda get a sense their essence or something behind the eyes, and get in touch with the something beyond even their personality. And so in seeing him on tape there was something that I got to latch onto or connect with, which was a huge help.
Where is Lady Gaga at the Golden Globes?
Lady Gaga arrives to the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 6, 2019. Photo courtesy of Getty Images. Dakota Fanning attends the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 6, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.