News | Entertainment
16 Feb 2026 6:25
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
     15 Feb: Heather McComb will remember James Van Der Beek as being "innocent, kind and pure of heart"
     15 Feb: Margaret Qualley felt "overwhelmed" when she began her acting career
     15 Feb: Bunnie Xo has been wowed by Jelly Roll's 300-lb. weight loss
     15 Feb: Jesy Nelson no longer has "time" to make music
     15 Feb: Lena Dunham replaced her friends with a "posse" of cats after moving to London
     15 Feb: Camila Cabello has revealed "it's taken a year" for her hair to recover after she dyed it blonde
     15 Feb: Kylie Jenner has applauded her sister Kim Kardashian for "nailing" the new SKIMS cotton collection
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Middle distance runner Sam Ruthe has been unable to replicate his stunning mile earlier this month at another indoor event in North Carolina More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    BNZ bank is offering support to those affected by severe weather More...



     Today's News

    Law and Order:
    Police say it could take some time to formally identify a body, washed up on Mahia's Mahanga Beach, near Wairoa 6:17

    Environment:
    Large swathes of the country are waking up under MetService weather warnings 5:07

    Soccer:
    Optimism from Wellington Phoenix women's manager Bev Priestman after a 2-1 home A-League football loss to Central Coast 4:57

    Rugby:
    Middle distance runner Sam Ruthe has been unable to replicate his stunning mile earlier this month at another indoor event in North Carolina 21:57

    International:
    Frog toxins used to poison Alexei Navalny the latest in long history of Russian chemical attacks 21:07

    Environment:
    Residents due to be hit by heavy rain and severe gales are being warned to act now 18:57

    Politics:
    Opposition draws battlelines on nuclear and capital gains tax changes 18:17

    Rugby League:
    The Indigenous Women have come from 14-nil down to beat the Maori Women 20-14 in their pre-season All-Stars rugby league match in Hamilton 18:07

    Soccer:
    The Wellington Phoenix trail the Central Coast Mariners 2-1 at halftime of their women's A-League match in Porirua 17:27

    Cricket:
    Black Caps pace bowler Lockie Ferguson has departed the T20 World Cup camp on paternity leave 16:17


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd