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https://www.facebook.com/ABCNews/videos/10155447603493812/
HEAVILY-BACKED FAVOURITE Mahershala Ali won the best supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of a drug dealer in coming-of-age drama Moonlight — becoming the first Muslim film star to pick up a golden statuette.
A first-time nominee, the 43-year-old actor saw off competition from Britain’s Dev Patel, veteran US actors Jeff Bridges and Michael Shannon and newcomer Lucas Hedges.
“I want to thank my teachers, my professors,” Ali said.
“One thing that they consistently told me… ‘It’s not about you. It’s about these characters. You are a servant. You’re in service to these stories and these characters’.”
He thanked his fellow cast members — and his wife, who gave birth to their first child, a girl, just days earlier.
Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight tells the life story of a young African-American struggling to find his place as he grows up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.
In a brief but acclaimed performance, Ali’s drug dealer Juan imparts life lessons to the protagonist Chiron that help him survive in prison and in the outside world.
The role won Oakland-born Ali best supporting actor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, although he lost out to Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) at the Golden Globes.
‘It’s not new’
Ali, a Muslim convert since 1999 with a Christian minister for a mother, joined the minority Ahmadiyya Community, a movement seen as heretical by other Islamic sects, in 2001.
Muslims have won Oscars in various categories over the years — including Pakistani documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and feature director Asghar Farhadi — but none has taken a statuette for acting.
Ellen Burstyn, who won a best actress Oscar in 1975, has practiced a blend of Sufism and other religions since her late 30s but has said she considers herself a “spirit open to the truth” rather than a Muslim.
“Regardless of one’s theology or how you see life or relate to worshipping God, as an artist your job is the same… to try and tell the truth,” he said backstage on Sunday.
He added that he didn’t feel an actor’s religion was relevant to his work unless it “gives you more empathy to the people you have to advocate for.”
Ali recently told Britain’s Radio Times magazine that he discovered he was on an FBI watchlist after the 11 September, 2001 attacks.
“If you convert to Islam after a couple of decades of being a black man in the US, the discrimination you receive as a Muslim doesn’t feel like a shock,” he said.
I’ve been pulled over, asked where my gun is, asked if I’m a pimp, had my car pulled apart. Muslims will feel like there’s this new discrimination that they hadn’t received before — but it’s not new for us.
Before Moonlight, Ali is best known however for his Emmy-nominated portrayal of White House lobbyist turned chief of staff Remy Danton in Netflix political drama House of Cards.
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Wonder how much was spent on the auld coffee and scone… That be another great useless fact to know.
The stress levels are probably high in the dail as our bunch of overpaid, incompetent, sub standard politicians are attempting to do jobs way over their heads and which they are totally unfit for.
If only the EU cared enough to fix our homeless crisis and health crisis as well, then our waste of space politicians could just sit back, relax and collect their unjustifiable various wide ranging financial payments.
@Adrian: the EU or our government could – ban smoking – immediate jail for a month for any one caught smoking. Selling or smuggling cigarettes one year jail. Limit everyone to 1 pint or 1 glass of wine per week. Ban sweets chcolates, cakes. Ban cars in city centres. Everyone must walk 10km per week, cycle 50km. Monthly check ups to prove their weight fitness, blood pressure and cholesterol is at recommend es levels or face fines or lose their TV, WiFi or car until they are healthy
@David Kelly: Wow, not at all fascist, eh?
@Adrian: When are you running for a seat Adrian? You seem to have it all sussed out.
Slow news day ZZZZZzzzzz
However much was spent in the dail bar, they probably puts indirect expense claims in for all this. I’d imagine when the ministers of state went to pascal a few weeks back about their hotel costs, he probably said, i can’t give you hotel expenses but if you claim it under say admin…. Dail bar pints are probably included in their food and drinks expense claims. Cigarettes maybe in the entertainment expense claims.
@Adrian: probably, imagine, probably, probably.
Great research.
@Chin Feeyin: ok. Its guaranteed they do it.
@Chin Feeyin: and its good that you agree. Thanks!
@Adrian: probably not.
@Adrian: paranoid much!!
Another ‘cash for ash’ scandal.
Which probably equates only to 10 people buying their smokes there while in work, as a smoker I probably go through 300 packs a year. Not really a news worthy story….
I always buy my cigarettes from my local TD. They’re so much cheaper.
Probably the only ones that can afford
them now
I wanna know how many packets of bacon fries they go through in a year.
Not surprised a lot of smoke and mirrors in Lenister House.
@JesusMoreBullshit: Don’t forget the smoke and daggers…
Close the bloody thing down
@Jamie: the entire dail or just the bar ? id go for the former myself !
Saw that old movie Gremlins over the weekend, no idea why the bar scene came to mind when I was reading this article, no idea.
Is there a condom machine in the Dáil bar?
This may be perceived as toxic4.4/10
@Micheal McGee: Too late for the residential inbreds that infest the Dáil.
And these are the very people that tell the people that pay their wages not to smoke or drink because of the f***** up health system …
You couldn’t make it up.
Sweet Jesus… After all their swaning around the world. You would think duty free would be the order of the day.. .
The big point to consider is not the amount of cigarettes they smoke but rather the number of TDs in the Dail (and Senators in the Seanad). I’m sure you all realise it is the highest per capita representation in the EU. It would fit Mr Murray and his fellow journo travellers better to highlight this fact and see if the number could be reduced.
I hope they choke on them
Curupt shower of horses who couldn’t run a bath bunch of ankers
Shit news…Work it out. Its under 10 packets a week. Not a big deal considering the amount of people in the dail..
Wtf dose the dail have a bar in the first place
Claremorris Council don’t like giving houses to there own they give them to every forgien hunt going they are the biggest shower of %ankers going I’m so mad with these fuuckkers
have your say