Mahershala Ali will star in the third series of 'True Detective'.
Mahershala Ali
The 'Moonlight' actor is set to join the HBO TV drama, following in the footsteps of Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Rachel McAdams, Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn.
Mahershala shared the news on his Instagram page and HBO president of programming Casey Bloys said: "I have read five scripts for a third season. I'm very very impressed and excited about what I've read. I don't want to give away the storyline, but I really think they're terrific."
Meanwhile, Mahershala recently revealed that he believes his Islamic faith has made him a better actor.
The 43-year-old actor went through a religious conversion in 1999 after attending a mosque with his now-wife Amatus Sami-Karim - the mother of his five-month-old daughter Bari - and he feels his beliefs help him relate to his characters better.
He explained: "It benefits me from the standpoint of really creating empathy for these characters that I try to embody, other human beings with issues as deep and personal as my own. Because of Islam, I am acutely aware that I am a work in progress.
"[The daily practice] puts a healthy pressure on you to be your best self, beginning with your own spirit and how that feeds into your actions."
The actor also spoke of his beliefs that one day America can be truly "great", though he is unsure if that will be in his lifetime.
He said: "I think African-Americans have a very convoluted relationship with patriotism.
"The fact is, we essentially were the abused child. We still love the parent, but you can't overlook the fact that we have a very convoluted relationship with the parent. I absolutely love this country, but like so many people have some real questions and concerns about how things have gone down over the years and where we're at.
"And that's from a place of love, because I want the country to be what it says it is on paper."