▶ Backstage at the Oscars, Mahershala Ali talks about his Oscar-winning role in 'Moonlight' and how witnessing actors like Denzel Washington be successful helped him to understand what was possible. (The Associated Press )In a film industry often criticized for exploiting a fear of Muslims, Mahershala Ali received a standing ovation as he achieved a historic feat 20 minutes into Sunday night’s Academy Awards ceremony, becoming the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar. On Sunday night, Ali also became the first African American man in more than a decade to win an Oscar. ▶ After the fiasco at the ceremony, Barry Jenkins and Mahershala Ali relax with the engraver finishing their Oscars at the Governor's Ball in Los Angeles. “She was coming to terms with whether she even wanted to be Muslim, because her father is an imam,” Ali said.

Source: thestar February 27, 2017 13:27 UTC