{"id":74647,"date":"2016-02-11T15:51:29","date_gmt":"2016-02-11T15:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2016\/02\/11\/mahershala-ali-talks-about-smart-people\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T03:31:47","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T03:31:47","slug":"mahershala-ali-talks-about-smart-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/mahershala-ali-talks-about-smart-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Mahershala Ali Talks About Smart People"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mahershala Ali Talks About Smart People<\/strong>by Brad Balfour<\/p>\n

February 11, 2016<\/p>\n

\"Smart<\/a><\/p>\n

After seeing actor Mahershala Ali<\/strong> playing his character Jackson in Lydia R. Diamond\u2019s<\/strong> latest play, Smart People<\/strong> \u2014 with his huge chip on shoulder and a seriously abrasive manner \u2014 it seemed like some of Cornell \u201cCottonmouth\u201d Stokes, the villainous character he plays in Marvel\u2019s Netflix series Luke Cage rubbed off.<\/p>\n

Of course that\u2019s really a testament to vet actors skills because in person, he\u2019s a really gracious guy quick to answer serious questions with a deliberation and determination \u2014 a far cry from either character.<\/p>\n

When Ali joined the cast of noted playwright Lydia R. Diamond\u2019s off-Broadway production, Smart People, he added another feather in his cap having tackled both The Hunger Games \u2013 Mockingjay 1 & 2<\/strong> and House of Cards<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Mahershala<\/a><\/p>\n

Directed by Kenny Leon<\/strong>, Smart People began its Off-Broadway run, with previews finishing and the play finally opening its limited run.<\/p>\n

The Smart People cast — Anne Son, Joshua Jackson, Tessa Thompson<\/strong> and Ali — had been assembled to talk with press just before previews began. Blackfilm.com ran part of the conversation with Ali when he discussed his role in Luke Cage and his take on the recent Oscars controversy. What follows is his thought on the play and its powerful impact.<\/p>\n

What was it like working with such an accomplished director as Kenny Leon?<\/p>\n

Mahershala Ali:<\/strong> Kenny’s been really wonderful, he\u2019s so honest and upfront \u2014 he doesn\u2019t pull any punches but it\u2019s never [negative]. He\u2019s always constructive but he\u2019s straight up; he definitely expects you to carry the weight and discover [your character]. He’s a wonderful collaborator and terrific director and its\u2019 been a joy and wonderful working with him.<\/p>\n

\"Smart<\/a>You done television and films how and why did you chose to do this theatrical production?<\/strong><\/p>\n

MA:<\/strong> I appreciate the challenge. This stands out for me. The material is so strong and rich \u2014 it was impossible to say no to having the opportunity to play this character I think its been very challenging.<\/p>\n

We are thrown back to Obama\u2019s first election\u2026 It was such tense time in our society and yet such exciting as well; what do you remember?<\/strong><\/p>\n

MA:<\/strong> Exactly that, a mix of emotions, a lot of hope but it also brought up so many issues that were happening \u2014 and still happening \u2014 my grandfather supported Hillary. Funny, in the play it\u2019s full of so many different perspectives and point of views, so i really appreciated that time. We haven\u2019t really had a time like that.<\/p>\n

\"Smart<\/a><\/p>\n

What kind of conversations does your character Jackson having during this time period?<\/strong><\/p>\n

MA:<\/strong> On a very personal level, Jackson is just dealing with being viewed as insubordinate and it has more to do with being a black man in a world where he is very much an outlier, somewhat outside of what would be his norm and so therefore is being misunderstood. And perhaps someone who looks like Jackson, [it\u2019s tough] having to\u2026 biting their tongue, often enough, [to be] fitting in and riding the wave until they get what they want.<\/p>\n

\"Smart<\/a><\/p>\n

Jackson isn\u2019t someone [who has it] in him to bite his tongue. He is going to speak up and so he is quickly viewed as the angry black man and in some ways he is but it\u2019s a very complicated time to excel with everything that he\u2019s done.<\/p>\n

Now he\u2019s at a point where no matter how great he is at a point, he has reached a ceiling and a gatekeeper has to let him in if they so choose to let him in. And I think that is what\u2019s frustrating so I think that is a lot of what Jackson is dealing with \u2014 and he and Brian [Joshua Jackson] talk about that.<\/p>\n

\"Mahershala<\/a><\/p>\n

What kind of emotional journey did you take on to do this play?<\/strong><\/p>\n

MA:<\/strong> I\u2019m still very much experiencing it. I\u2019m trying to learn and ask questions and dealing with this character everyday \u2014 his history and dealing with society where we are now but also where we were eight years ago.<\/p>\n

Jackson is outlier in own community. [He has to exceed] expectation [and excel] academic ally in studying to be a neurosurgeon. That makes him an outlier in the Boston medical world [and his own as well]. With combination those two things, he doesn\u2019t necessarily have anyone that he can necessarily relate to and in that way, it\u2019s challenging being on that island for that character. It actually ends up making Jackson\u2019s relationship with Joshua\u2019s character that much deeper and more important because in some ways because\u2014 of Brian\u2019s own trajectory \u2014 they can relate to in a way that in their own homes and own areas where they\u2019re from, that other people can\u2019t relate to them.<\/p>\n

\"Smart<\/a><\/p>\n

He studying to be surgeon; he is in his residency right now \u2014 he intended to be a brain surgeon. But he\u2019s having a bit of trouble with that because of race, politics, and the dynamic of that world. And him being a black man in Boston so he\u2019s seen it through a black person\u2019s minds.<\/p>\n

Of his relationship with Joshua\u2019s character \u2014 Brian who is also somewhat of an older guy but also a black sheep in his family \u2014 the two of them come together and they have an extraordinary friendship because they\u2019re both sort of oddities.<\/p>\n

Do you think the premise of the show is now more relevant than the time when it was set?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Mahershala<\/a>MA:<\/strong> It\u2019s relevant in part because it would take several more years or decades to be able to have this conversation about race that is honest \u2014 so in that way it is even more relevant.<\/p>\n

You can tear off all those layers and you\u2019re back towards the center of talking about it as opposed to having to be very conscious and not knowing if it\u2019s ok to talk about it in the world we are living in as real human beings. In this world that [Lydia] has made, the conversations that they have cut to the chase and, in that way, you get to hear things within its two hour and forty-five minute mark stuuf that cuts the chase \u2014where we have to think of it\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mahershala Ali Talks About Smart Peopleby Brad Balfour February 11, 2016 After seeing actor Mahershala Ali playing his character Jackson in Lydia R. Diamond\u2019s latest play, Smart People \u2014 with his huge chip on shoulder and a seriously abrasive manner \u2014 it seemed like some of Cornell \u201cCottonmouth\u201d Stokes, the villainous character he plays in […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"1","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,143],"tags":[],"reaction":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-74647","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-interviews","7":"category-read"},"yoast_head":"\nMahershala Ali Talks About Smart People - blackfilm.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/mahershala-ali-talks-about-smart-people\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mahershala Ali Talks About Smart People\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mahershala Ali Talks About Smart Peopleby Brad Balfour February 11, 2016 After seeing actor Mahershala Ali playing his character Jackson in Lydia R. Diamond\u2019s latest play, Smart People \u2014 with his huge chip on shoulder and a seriously abrasive manner \u2014 it seemed like some of Cornell \u201cCottonmouth\u201d Stokes, the villainous character he plays in […] More\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/mahershala-ali-talks-about-smart-people\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"blackfilm.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/blackfilm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/blackfilm\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-02-11T15:51:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-12-18T03:31:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Smart-People-Playbill-cover-190x300.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Guest Writer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@blackfilm\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@blackfilm\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Guest Writer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.blackfilm.com\\\/read\\\/mahershala-ali-talks-about-smart-people\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.blackfilm.com\\\/read\\\/mahershala-ali-talks-about-smart-people\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Guest Writer\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.blackfilm.com\\\/read\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/031e5b3b0b6f6a7121aa3561bc66edb9\"},\"headline\":\"Mahershala Ali Talks About Smart People\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-02-11T15:51:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-12-18T03:31:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.blackfilm.com\\\/read\\\/mahershala-ali-talks-about-smart-people\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1072,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.blackfilm.com\\\/read\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.blackfilm.com\\\/read\\\/mahershala-ali-talks-about-smart-people\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.blackfilm.com\\\/read\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/Smart-People-Playbill-cover-190x300.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Interviews\",\"Read\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.blackfilm.com\\\/read\\\/mahershala-ali-talks-about-smart-people\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.blackfilm.com\\\/read\\\/mahershala-ali-talks-about-smart-people\\\/\",\"name\":\"Mahershala Ali Talks About Smart People - 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