Mahershala Ali: Playing two roles in 'Swan Song' was an 'interesting' challenge (exclusive)

Watch: Mahershala Ali talks to Yahoo about his duel role in new sci-fi film Swan Song

Mahershala Ali says his co-star on new Apple TV+ film Swan Song was difficult to work with and 'got on my nerves'.

It's not quite what you think though, as he's actually talking himself.

Over the last decade, Moonlight and Green Book star Mahershala Ali has established himself as one of the best actors working today.

It’s surprising, then, that the two-time Oscar winner hasn’t played a lead role in a film before, but that’s an error that Swan Song corrects twice over. In this moving sci-fi drama, Ali takes centre stage as Cameron Turner, a dying man who clones himself so that he can shield his family from grief. Multiple scenes have him sharing the frame with himself.

It’s a dream scenario for any actor, albeit one that wasn’t without its challenges.

“It was a very different process from working in the normal way, which is collaborating with people in the moment and capturing the chemistry and what you're able to bring to life in the moment”, Ali tells Yahoo.

Read more: Mahershala Ali on how he got cast as Blade

“In this case, it was about communicating what you were hoping to find in the scene. There wasn't the same type of space for discovery because I had to express what I wanted to see from the character.”

Watch a trailer for Swan Song

Ali will be going back to playing one character per film for the foreseeable future, as he gets ready to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Blade.

Delroy Lindo was recently cast in the project, and while Ali hasn’t met him yet, he’s excited to get to work.

“Delroy Lindo is a GOAT. He is the man. I'm so excited at the idea of just getting to work with him. I absolutely cannot wait.”

Swan Song will premiere in select UK cinemas nationwide and on Apple TV+ on 17 December, 2021.