Mahershala Ali has won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Green Book—two years after he won in the same category for Moonlight. Ali was honored for his portrayal of Dr. Don Shirley, a refined pianist who hires an uncouth white driver for a tour of the Deep South in the 1960s. The Treme and House of Cards alum beat out Adam Driver, Sam Elliott, Richard E. Grant, and Sam Rockwell for the statuette.
In his acceptance speech, Ali thanked co-star Viggo Mortenson and director Peter Farrelly and dedicated the award to his grandmother who he said always told him, “if at first I don’t succeed, try try again.” He also singled out the real-life character he played, saying, “Trying to capture Dr. Shirley’s essence pushed me to my ends… I thank him.”
