Mahershala Ali has propelled himself into being one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood. After his two huge Oscar wins for Green Book and Moonlight, he has become quite the fan favourite. Starring in those amazing films and becoming one of the most popular black actors working today, he has become quite influential, not to mention him also starring as Blade in his own Marvel film. The Plot: Mahershala Ali to Feature in Hulu’s Limited Series Based on Jean Hanff Korelitz’s Novel of the Same Name.

Over the last few years Mahershala Ali has starred in some really great and must watch films. While of course his Oscar winning films are present, he has given powerful performances in a bunch of other films as well that make those movies a must watch. So to celebrate Mahershala Ali’s 48th birthday, we are taking a look at five of his must watch films. Mahershala Ali Birthday Special: Best Quotes and Sayings by the Oscar-Winning Actor That Will Enlighten Your Mind.

Alita: Battle Angel

Featuring a cyborg being repaired and awakened in her new body, Alita along with her father figure embarks on a journey to figure out her past. Alita: Battle Angel was quite the fun film with loads of action in it. Not to mention, Mahershala Ali gives quite the amazing villainous performance that really elevates some scenes in this movie.

Hidden Figures

A film about three influential women who worked at NASA during the space race, Hidden Figures was quite the powerful film. A powerful and moving film that brings the stories of these women forward, Hidden Figures is something that everyone should watch. Mahershala Ali also gives a great performance as a military officer Jim Johnson who falls in love with Katherine and eventually marries her.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

With Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, we saw a leap in animation technology. A beautiful film with an equally well told story, this is a celebration of Spider-Man as a character. Ali plays the role of Aaron Davis aka the supervillain Prowler, who also happens to be Miles’ uncle. This really added a great layer of emotional depth to the film.

Green Book

Based on the real life story of jazz player Don Shirley and his bouncer Frank Vallelonga, Green Book is a great story about friendship. Featuring great performances from their leads Ali and Viggo Mortensen, the film is something that should be experienced by everyone.

Moonlight

Crowning jewel in Ali’s filmography, Moonlight is a great coming-of-age tale about a kid trying to identify his sexuality and dealing with abuse while growing up. The movie tackles three time periods of his life, with Ali playing his father and appearing in his childhood scenes. He gives a really powerful and moving performance which justified why he was the best pick for the winner at the Oscars.

Mahershala Ali has really given us some great performances and I genuinely can’t wait to see what he does with Blade. With this we finish off the list and wish him a very happy birthday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 16, 2022 09:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).