News | Entertainment
17 Feb 2026 22:46
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Mahershala Ali admitted the idea of cloning himself is "tempting"

    The 47-year-old actor - who has four-year-old daughter Bari with wife Amatus Sami-Karim - can next be seen in sci-fi drama 'Swan Song' as a terminally ill family man who decides to replace himself with a carbon copy without telling his loved ones, and he can understand why the idea was so appealing to his character.


    Asked on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' if he'd consider cloning himself, he said: "It's very tempting. I certainly hope that I'm not in that position, but just knowing myself - this is a very difficult question - but I would lean towards the natural order of things, but I absolutely get why this opportunity is so attractive to my character.

    "You know, it's hard to answer without the entire context of what his wife is dealing with as well. But it would be very tempting I gotta say if that were our reality right now."

    The Oscar-winning actor recently admitted he "enjoyed" the "challenge" of playing two characters in the movie and making sure they were very "distinct" from one another.

    He said: "I wanted to be sure they felt distinct and that there were subtle differences that I hoped would collectively add up and read as two different characters.

    "The main way in which that was done was in being very clear about who was in power...

    "It was emotional and challenging, but once I was finished, I could say that it was enjoyable. It felt like we accomplished something that I'd never done as an actor. It felt new."

    Mahershala was excited about the premise of the film as soon as he read the script.

    He said: "As an actor, you get excited by scenarios that feel a little bit impossible. You're like, 'How is this going to work?'"

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     17 Feb: Leslie Grossman and Sascha Penn are married
     17 Feb: Keke Palmer is "more intentional" with her work and time since becoming a mom
     17 Feb: Harry Styles learnt "how to slow down" on his career break
     17 Feb: Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo's sex life is better now that he is not "so big"
     17 Feb: Tyler Perry broke his collarbone in a "terrible" bike fall
     17 Feb: James Van Der Beek's brother "didn't know it would hurt so badly" when he died
     17 Feb: Jennifer Aniston's 57th birthday was "even more meaningful" because she spent it with boyfriend Jim Curtis
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Irish rugby to investigate racial abuse towards Test debutant Edwin Edogbo More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    New Zealand lamb is still a premium product in the UK, 144 years since the first shipment of 5000 carcasses sailed out of Port Chalmers in 1882 More...



     Today's News

    International:
    The Missing number in the hundreds of thousands in Syria, where mass graves of torture victims are found weekly 22:07

    Entertainment:
    Leslie Grossman and Sascha Penn are married 21:57

    Politics:
    Labour's Jan Tinetti says today's employment law change is a backwards step 21:57

    Entertainment:
    Keke Palmer is "more intentional" with her work and time since becoming a mom 21:27

    Living & Travel:
    Second-placed Auckland FC look to close the gap on leaders Newcastle tonight in the A-League 21:17

    Entertainment:
    Harry Styles learnt "how to slow down" on his career break 20:57

    Entertainment:
    Jelly Roll and Bunnie Xo's sex life is better now that he is not "so big" 20:27

    Entertainment:
    Tyler Perry broke his collarbone in a "terrible" bike fall 19:57

    Entertainment:
    James Van Der Beek's brother "didn't know it would hurt so badly" when he died 19:27

    Politics:
    The Greens say the Government's attacking workers with a major change to workplace law 18:57


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd