The 2018 film “Green Book” was based on a true story about Dr. Don Shirley, an African-American classical pianist, and his friendship with his Italian-American chauffeur during the 1960s. But the authenticity of the story was called into question when Shirley’s family spoke out in disapproval. Shirley’s brother went as far as calling it “a symphony of lies” in an interview with Shadow and Act.
Mahershala Ali, who portrayed Shirley in the film, took home an Oscar for the role and while he doesn’t regret the movie, he has expressed a regret for not contacting the family during the filming process. “… My job is always the same: I have to look at what I am doing and be responsible for it … I respect the family … at the end of the day you wish everyone was happy and you don’t want to offend anyone in any capacity,” Ali said, per Deadline.
The unhappy relatives received a personal call from the actor. Shirley’s nephew, Edwin Shirley, explained, “I got a call from Mahershala Ali … What he said was, ‘If I have offended you, I am so, so terribly sorry. I did the best I could with the material I had. I was not aware that there were close relatives with whom I could have consulted to add some nuance to the character.'” During his acceptance speech at the Academy Awards ceremony, Ali made sure to give credit to Dr. Shirley.
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