You see, Jamaican-born Dr. Shirley was not like most other Black people in America at the time. He was whisked away to Russia to study under musical masters at the age of 9. Despite putting down roots in New York, he spent most of his life traveling around the world, learning different languages, mastering his craft, and amassing a reputation for himself as a treasured musical artists. On the screen, Dr. Shirley is the epitome of worldly, living above Carnegie Hall, surrounded by mementos — including an actual elephant tusk — from all over the globe. He has his own butler. His suits are expensive, and his posture is immaculate. When he interviews Tony for the job, he looks down on him from an actual throne in his apartment, draped in a gold-accent caftan. He is bad. He is bougie. He is basically the prototype for the kind of auntie I aspire to be. And aesthetically, there was no better person to play this role than Oscar winner Ali, who already drips with style and elegance no matter what he does.