Remy Danton
All Star
This is a success story, followed by a personal crisis, followed by another success story.
And another. And another. And about 10 more after that.
"I think I was 10 when I first stated that I wanted to play Division I basketball," said Mahershala Ali, speaking at Saturday's commencement ceremony for more than 600 undergraduates at Saint Mary's College. "Years later, I was fortunate to do just that right here."
You probably didn't know Ali played hoops at Saint Mary's, where he graduated in 1996. You likely know him as the versatile and prolific actor who has appeared in the Netflix series "House of Cards" and "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2." Coming soon to a theater near you, "The Free State of Jones" featuring Ali and Matthew McConaughey.
How to know you've hit the big time: Matthew McConaughey takes a break from making car commercials to film a movie with you.
But before all these affirming professional milestones, Ali's dream of college basketball took a distressing turn. At first, he told the commencement crowd as a soft rain fell, he and his family were "infused with pride, as only a handful of my relatives had ever had the opportunity to attend college."
"But something happened very early on," he said. "I got discouraged by what I viewed as my coach's inability to reach and connect to us as anything more than product. His inability to inspire and improve us as athletes and men truly got the best of me."
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Ali said that critical view of coach Ernie Kent wasn't unanimous on the team. But he embraced it and "checked out" from the basketball team, doing only what he had to do to maintain his athletic scholarship. He cautioned the graduates not to embrace such discouragement, calling it an act of personal treason.
Ultimately, he said, he took personal responsibility for his attitude. About that time, fate paid him a visit.
A professor from the theater department, who recalled Ali "running my mouth" at a diversity seminar on campus, asked if he was interested in a part in a play she was directing. He was. Two years later, she cast him in another play, "Spunk."
"In terms of college productions, the play was a huge success," Ali said. "Standing room only. It was a brave undertaking to give me the part, because for the first time in the theatric history of the school they produced a black play. I had the time of my life."
That's not even the cool part. After the play, Ali was confronted with "and honestly a bit terrified" by the specter of life after school. He called it "the undertow of the unknown." Then fate performed an encore.
Ali received a card, which he has kept for 20 years, from a professor in the Saint Mary's communications department. Ali pulled the card from his pocket. Overcome with emotion, he paused several moments before reading it to the crowd:
"What a solid performance in 'Spunk.' 'Born to it' is what I was thinking as I marveled at your acting ability. I don't know what you want to do after graduation, but acting classes are part of it. I hope you will find your way to teachers who challenge you to go deep and act from the keisters. You have the power to do that. Too few do. So honor the gift. It's a sacred thing."
"Nine months later," Ali said, "I was one of 18 students accepted for NYU's Tisch School of the Arts."
The rest is history -- in the making.
Peterson: Mahershala Ali shares his success story at Saint Mary's College commencement
