Jeffrey Wright

Jeffrey Wright (born December 7, 1965) is an acclaimed American actor who started his acting career in theater, notably winning a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his outstanding performance in Tony Kushner's Angels in America (1993). He then continued to impress audiences and critics alike by reprising his role in the 2003 HBO miniseries adaptation, earning him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. Wright's first starring film role was as Jean-Michel Basquiat in Basquiat (1996), garnering substantial praise and kicking off a series of noteworthy performances in films like Shaft (2000), Syriana (2005), Casino Royale (2006), and No Time to Die (2021). His acting abilities extend to animated series and video games as well, voicing characters in The Last of Us Part II (2020) and the Marvel Studios animated series What If...? (2021–present).

In addition to these accomplishments, Wright delivered commendable performances in HBO series Boardwalk Empire (2013–2014) and Westworld (2016–2022), earning him three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the latter. His dedication to acting began when he decided to pursue acting full-time instead of law, dropping the MFA acting program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts to appear in Les Blancs at Arena Stage. Wright's impact on theater and film through his nuanced performances and remarkable talent have earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in American Fiction (2023).