Mahershala Ali Smile - Mahershala Ali GQ Cover

Mahershala Ali's smile is contagious. The 43-year-old Moonlight star—and first Muslim actor to ever win an Oscar—can't stop grinning in his new cover story for GQ's July 2017 issue. A big takeaway from the shoot? He appears to thrive in the summer.

Here he is on the cover, sitting beachside on Catalina Island, looking like the epitome of happiness with a hardly-buttoned printed shirt and beaded necklace. We imagine those rays of sunshine are actually radiating from his mega-watt smile, and that he's sipping on a tropical drink that tastes like pineapple and dreams.

Here, he's offering you a half-eaten burger, which you graciously accept because you cannot resist a man in a half-zipped Gucci bomber, especially if that man is Mahershala effing Ali:

Other highlights include Mahershala in repose on a rocky beach while dressed in a suit, and Mahershala welcoming you to a sunny pier in his flip flops.

Twitter certainly enjoyed the sight of Ali's pure joy:

Your Monday needed this.

Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now. 

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