Mahershala Ali is taking two months off after winning his Academy Award.
The ‘Moonlight’ star is glad awards season is over now so he can spend time with his wife Amatus Sami-Karim and their newborn baby girl Bari Najma, who they welcomed into the world only a week or so ago.
Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live, he said: "I’m gonna take off for about two, two and a half months … There’s a project that’s coming together that I’m really excited about. It’s been six months, it starts with these festivals and what not. In that process, in that run, my wonderful team has been getting calls and offers and opportunists have kind of grown so I’m sure this [Oscar] makes things easier."
It comes after the 43-year-old actor revealed becoming a father has been "remarkable" so far.
He said: "It’s been remarkable. I know I really get to get into it tomorrow because awards season is done after tonight, but it’s been remarkable. It’s such a blessing to be a father."
And Mahershala is amazed at how "tough" his wife is after he saw her go through childbirth without any pain relief.
He added: "Hands down, women are the toughest beings on the planet. I’m not saying that to be cool. I don’t care if you have children, choose to have children. I don’t care if you took every pain medication in the world to have children.
"She did not [have an epidural]. She had it natural. I’m telling you, women are the toughest beings on the planet – incredible seeing this eight-pound being come out of your body and just work that out. Unbelievable …
"She just kicked in so quickly that the doctor came in sprinting, sweating. The doula came in, like, ‘What?!’ It just started happening really quickly and my wife just knocked it out. I don’t have the words, honestly."
Mahershala Ali taking time off
