News | Entertainment
30 Jan 2026 17:05
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
     30 Jan: Mel C is considering marriage for the first time because she's "so happy" with boyfriend Chris Dingwall
     30 Jan: Evangeline Lilly has "spent a lot of money" on trying to find the right treatment for a brain injury she sustained in a fall
     30 Jan: Katie Price married Lee Andrews "at first sight" as the couple exchanged vows just days after they first met
     30 Jan: Paris Hilton has compared her rejection sensitivity dysphoria to having "a demon in your mind"
     30 Jan: Ethan Hawke has urged his daughter Maya Hawke to "move on" from Stranger Things
     30 Jan: Antihero Marty Supreme is sociopathic in his pursuit of glory. Why do we want him to win?
     30 Jan: Amber Heard has "lost [her] ability to speak" in the wake of her legal battle with Johnny Depp
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Former All Blacks coach John Mitchell will remain a thorn in the side of the Black Ferns More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    NZ’s finance industry is required by law to treat customers fairly – but how do we define ‘fair’? More...



     Today's News

    Golf:
    Kiwi golf great Dame Lydia Ko has made a squeaky clean start to the LPGA season with a bogey-free three-under par opening round at Florida's Tournament of Champions 16:57

    Swimming:
    Why your sunscreen application might be putting your good intentions to waste 16:47

    Entertainment:
    Mel C is considering marriage for the first time because she's "so happy" with boyfriend Chris Dingwall 16:31

    Health & Safety:
    A new purpose-built forensic mental health facility's opened at Auckland's Mason Clinic - which serves nearly two million people across the Northern Region 16:17

    International:
    Bruce Springsteen releases anti-ICE protest song Streets of Minneapolis 16:07

    Business:
    NZ’s finance industry is required by law to treat customers fairly – but how do we define ‘fair’? 16:07

    Entertainment:
    Evangeline Lilly has "spent a lot of money" on trying to find the right treatment for a brain injury she sustained in a fall 16:01

    Entertainment:
    Katie Price married Lee Andrews "at first sight" as the couple exchanged vows just days after they first met 15:31

    Law and Order:
    A rideshare driver accused of killing a promising young New Zealand lawyer in a hit-and-run in Australia has died before his trial could begin 15:27

    Business:
    Live updates: Nine Entertainment sells radio arm to Laundy family, ASX falls 15:17


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd