How ‘Swan Song’ Worked As A Duet For Mahershala Ali

In his new film, Swan Song, Mahershala Ali doubled his screen time by playing two roles — a dying man and the clone he creates as a replacement for his family. It’s a device we’ve often seen in comedy films (think Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, or the great Peter Sellers), but using it in a drama presented a lot of interesting challenges for the two-time Academy Award winner. As Ali told us, to get everything right required a lot of patience, communication, and teamwork between himself, director Benjamin Cleary, and his castmates. (Click on the media bar below to hear Mahershala Ali)

 Swan Song is currently streaming on Apple TV+.