Mahershala Ali

Mahershalalhashbaz Ali , commonly known as Mahershala Ali, is an American actor. Ali began his career as a regular on series such as Crossing Jordan and Threat Matrix before his breakthrough role as Richard Tyler in the sciencefiction series The 4400. His first major film release was in the 2008 David Fincherdirected romantic fantasy drama film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. His other notable films include Predators and The Place Beyond the Pines .

Ali was born in Oakland, California. He is named after Mahershalalhashbaz. Raised Christian by his mother, he later converted to Islam, changing his surname from Gilmore to Ali, and joined the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He attended St. Marys College of California in Moraga, where he graduated in 1996 with a degree in mass communication.

Source: Wikipedia