Jeffrey Wright | |
|---|---|
 Wright in 2025 | |
| Born | (1965-12-07)December 7, 1965 (age 59) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Education | Amherst College (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
Jeffrey Wright (born December 7, 1965) is an American actor.His accolades include aPrimetime Emmy Award, aTony Award, and aGolden Globe Award, in addition to a nomination for anAcademy Award.
Wright began his career in theater, where he gained prominence for his role in the Broadway production ofTony Kushner'sAngels in America (1993), for which he won aTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. He reprised his role in the acclaimedHBOminiseries adaptation (2003), earning thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
His first starring film role was asJean-Michel Basquiat inBasquiat (1996). His other notable films includeSyriana (2005),Lady in the Water (2006),Cadillac Records (2008),The Ides of March (2011), andRustin (2023). He has also acted in theWes Anderson filmsThe French Dispatch (2021),Asteroid City (2023) andThe Phoenician Scheme (2025), and has played Peoples Hernandez inShaft (2000),Felix Leiter in theJames Bond filmsCasino Royale (2006),Quantum of Solace (2008), andNo Time to Die (2021),Beetee Latier inThe Hunger Games films, andJim Gordon inThe Batman (2022). He received a nomination for theAcademy Award for Best Actor for his performance inAmerican Fiction (2023).
Wright earned acclaim for his role asValentin Narcisse in theHBO seriesBoardwalk Empire (2013–2014) and robot programmer Bernard Lowe in the HBO seriesWestworld (2016–2022), the latter of which earned him threePrimetime Emmy Award nominations. He also appeared as Isaac Dixon in the video gameThe Last of Us Part II (2020) andthe Watcher in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) beginning with theDisney+ animated seriesWhat If...? (2021–2024). In 2025, he reprised his role from the video game in the second season of theHBO series adaptation ofThe Last of Us.
Wright was born on December 7, 1965, inWashington, D.C. His mother is a customs lawyer and his father died when Jeffrey was a child.[1][2]
He graduated fromSt. Albans School and attendedAmherst College, receiving a bachelor's degree inpolitical science, planning to attend law school, but chose instead to study acting. He also played Lacrosse for Amherst.[3] After attending theMFA acting program at theNew York University Tisch School of the Arts for two months in 1988, he left to appear inLes Blancs atArena Stage before transferring with it to theHuntington Theatre Company and deciding to be an actor full-time.[4][5]
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Wright began appearingoff-Broadway in New York City and Washington, D.C. In 1990, he appeared in his first major film as an attorney inAlan J. Pakula's legal dramaPresumed Innocent.[6] In 1991, he joinedJohn Houseman's national touring repertory companyThe Acting Company in productions ofA Midsummer Night's Dream[7] andAthol Fugard'sBlood Knot. In 1993 and 1994, he appeared as Norman "Belize" Arriaga inTony Kushner's award-winning playAngels in America.[8] His portrayal of agay nurse forced to take care ofRoy Cohn as he dies ofAIDS won him theTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.[8] He also had small roles in the filmsJumpin' at the Boneyard (1992),Faithful (1996), andCritical Care (1997).
He guest-starred inGeorge Lucas'sThe Young Indiana Jones Chronicles as a fictionalizedSidney Bechet andHomicide: Life on the Street in the early to late 1990s. In 1996, Wright starred in his first leading film role, portraying painterJean-Michel Basquiat in the filmBasquiat, to critical acclaim. CriticRoger Ebert praised Wright as "[giving] a performance of almost mystical opacity".[9] For his performance, he earned aIndependent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance nomination.[10] Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, he appeared in roles in such films asWoody Allen's satirical comedyCelebrity (1998), andAng Lee's westernRide with the Devil (1999).
In 2000, he starred in three films,Shaft,Hamlet, andCrime and Punishment in Suburbia. He also starred inClark Johnson'sHBO television filmBoycott (2001) asMartin Luther King Jr., for which he received anAFI Award.[11] He starred oppositeCarmen Ejogo andTerrence Howard. The following year, he portrayedHoward Bingham inMichael Mann's biographical sports dramaAli (2001). The film also starredWill Smith,Jamie Foxx, andJon Voight. The following year, he returned toBroadway playing Lincoln in theSuzan-Lori Parks playTopdog/Underdog (2002). He starred oppositeMos Def who played Booth.[12] Wright for his performance earned aTony Award for Best Actor in a Play nomination.[13] In 2003, he reprised his role as Norman "Belize" Arriaga inHBO's award-winning adaptation ofAngels in America, garnering him anPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and aGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.[8]
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In 2004, he appeared inJonathan Demme's remake ofThe Manchurian Candidate, starringMeryl Streep andDenzel Washington.[14] In February 2005, Wright returned toHBO Films inLackawanna Blues.[15] In 2005, he played Washington attorney Bennett Holiday inSyriana andBill Murray's eccentricEthiopian neighbor Winston inBroken Flowers, the latter of which earned Wright aIndependent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male nomination.[10] That same year, he also starred in the playThis Is How It Goes and appeared as one of the tenants inM. Night Shyamalan's psychological thrillerLady in the Water (2006). In 2006, he appeared asFelix Leiter in theJames Bond filmCasino Royale. He reprised the role inQuantum of Solace andNo Time to Die.[16] In 2007, Wright starred in the alien invasion suspense thrillerThe Invasion. In 2008, he portrayedColin Powell inOliver Stone's biographical drama filmW.[17] He portrayedMuddy Waters inCadillac Records, a biopic, loosely based on the rise and fall ofChess Records.[18]
In 2010, Wright played Jacques Cornet in the world premiere run ofA Free Man of Color at theVivian Beaumont Theater of theLincoln Center for Performing Arts in New York City.[19] In 2011, he acted in three films:Source Code withJake Gyllenhaal,Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close starringTom Hanks andSandra Bullock, andThe Ides of March starringGeorge Clooney. Wright playedBeetee inThe Hunger Games film series, starting withThe Hunger Games: Catching Fire, released in November 2013.[20] He landed the role of Dr. Valentin Narcisse in season 4 ofBoardwalk Empire, starting in the fall of 2013.[21] In 2015, he voiced Poppa Henry in thePixar animated filmThe Good Dinosaur.[22]
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He portrayedCharles Ogletree in theHBO filmConfirmation (2016), and Bernard Lowe in HBO'sWestworld, the latter of which earned him threePrimetime Emmy Award nominations.[23] In March 2017, Wright appeared in a commercial forDell Technologies.[24] In 2018, Wright acted in six feature films including the legal dramaMonster, the dramaThe Public, the action comedyGame Night and the crime dramaAge Out. He starred in theHBO filmO.G. which was filmed entirely in thePendleton Correctional Facility. Also, in 2018, he acted in theNetflix action thrillerHold the Dark which premiered at theToronto International Film Festival.[25]
In 2018, Wright produced the HBO documentaryWe Are Not Done Yet, which gives voice to war veterans who, through a USO-sponsored arts workshop atWalter Reed National Military Hospital, discover the power and healing of shared experience to unite and find resilience in the face ofpost-traumatic stress.[26] That same year, Wright starred inHBO'sO.G., a film about a man confronting his past crime and preparing to leave prison after decades behind bars.[27] The film was directed byMadeleine Sackler, and was filmed entirely inPendleton Correctional Facility nearIndianapolis,Indiana.[28] The film was shot in a working prison and many prisoners and staff were recruited as actors for the film, including Wright's co-star, Theotus Carter, who plays Beecher, a younger prisoner that Louis, (Wright's character) takes under his wing, which threatens Louis' release date.[29] During shooting, Wright was sometimes mistaken for a prisoner by other real prisoners and guards. The film debuted on HBO on February 25, 2019.[30] Nick Paumgarten ofThe New Yorker said, "The performances are exceptionally strong, both by the free-to-leave professional actors (especially Jeffrey Wright, who plays Louis, the 'O.G.' of the title, an older inmate on the verge of release) and by the incarcerated neophytes."[31] Ben Kenigsberg ofThe New York Times said, "Jeffrey Wright gives a rich, imposing performance as the former 'mayor' of Pendleton Correctional Facility."[32]
In 2019, he acted in theSteven Soderbergh directedNetflix comedy-dramaThe Laundromat starringMeryl Streep,Antonio Banderas, andGary Oldman.[33] He also acted inJohn Crowley's dramaThe Goldfinch starringNicole Kidman,Sarah Paulson, andFinn Wolfhard.[8] Wright starred in the video gameThe Last of Us Part II as Isaac, the leader of the Washington Liberation Front. The game was released on June 19, 2020.[34] Wright voicesthe Watcher in theDisney+ animated seriesWhat If...? (2021), which is set in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).[35]
In 2021, Wright portrayed food writer Roebuck Wright in the filmThe French Dispatch byWes Anderson.[36] He reunited with Anderson portraying General Gibson in the 2023 filmAsteroid City.[37]
He portrayedAdam Clayton Powell Jr. in theNetflix biographical drama filmRustin[38] and played fictional author Thelonious "Monk" Ellison in the satirical comedy-dramaAmerican Fiction both released in 2023.[39] The latter earned him aGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy nomination[40] and anAcademy Award nomination forBest Actor.[41]Sterling K. Brown was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor forAmerican Fiction, and the nomination of Wright and Brown was the first time a black lead actor and a black supporting actor from the same film were both nominated for Academy Awards.[42]
In 2024, Wright starred in theShowtime seriesThe Agency as Henry Ogletree.[43]
In 2025, Wright reprised his role asIsaac Dixon in thesecond season of theHBO series adaptation ofThe Last of Us.[44]
Wright married actressCarmen Ejogo in August 2000. They have a son named Elijah and a daughter named Juno and lived inBrooklyn,New York City.[45][46][47][48] They have since divorced.[49]
He is a fan of theWashington Commanders.[50][51]
In 2004, Wright received an honorary degree from his alma materAmherst College.[52]
Wright was the chairman and co-founder of the now-defunct Taia, LLC and Taia Peace Foundation and Vice Chairman of Taia Lion Resources, Inc,[53][54] a gold-exploration company which sought to create a sustainable and conflict-freegold mining operation inSierra Leone.[55][56][57]
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Separate but Equal | William T. Coleman | Television movie |
| 1993 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Sidney Bechet | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | New York Undercover | Andre Foreman | Episode: "Garbage" |
| 1997 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Hal Wilson | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | Boycott | Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | Television movie |
| 2003 | Angels in America | Norman "Belize" Arriaga / Mr. Lies / Homeless Man / The Angel Europa | 6 episodes |
| 2005 | Lackawanna Blues | Mr. Paul | Television movie |
| 2007 | American Experience | Narrator | Episode: "New Orleans" |
| 2012 | House | Dr. Walter Cofield | Episode: "Nobody's Fault" |
| 2013–2014 | Boardwalk Empire | Valentin Narcisse | 11 episodes |
| 2016 | The Venture Brothers | Think Tank (voice) | Episode: "Tanks for Nuthin"[58] |
| Confirmation | Charles Ogletree | Television movie | |
| BoJack Horseman | Cuddlywhiskers / Father (voice) | 3 episodes | |
| 2016–2022 | Westworld | Bernard Lowe / Arnold Weber | Main role, 32 episodes |
| 2017 | She's Gotta Have It | Purple "ITIS" Voice (voice) | Episode: "#NolasChoice (3 DA HARD WAY)" |
| 2019 | Sesame Street | Bernard Lowe | Segment: "Respect World" |
| Green Eggs and Ham | McWinkle (voice) | 13 episodes[58] | |
| Rick and Morty | Tony (voice) | Episode: "The Old Man and the Seat" | |
| 2020 | Finding Your Roots | Himself | Episode: "This Land is My Land"[65] |
| The Daily Show with Trevor Noah | Narrator | Episode dated 28 August 2020 | |
| 2021–2024 | What If...? | The Watcher (voice) | Lead role; 26 episodes[66] |
| 2021 | Marvel Studios: Assembled | Himself | Episode:The Making ofWhat If...? |
| 2023 | I Am Groot | The Watcher (voice) | Episode: "Groot and the Great Prophecy"[67][58] |
| 2023–2025 | Digman! | Uncle Christ (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | Ark: The Animated Series | Henry Townsend (voice) | 3 episodes[68][58] |
| 2024–present | The Agency | Henry Ogletree | Main role |
| 2025–present | The Last of Us | Isaac Dixon | 2 episodes (Season 2) |
| Year | Title | Role | Author | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Angels in America: Millennium Approaches | Belize / Mr. Lies | Tony Kushner | Walter Kerr Theatre, Broadway |
| Angels in America: Perestroika | Belize / Mr. Lies / Council of Principalities | |||
| 1996 | Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk | Da Voice | Reg E. Gaines | Ambassador Theatre, Broadway |
| 2002 | Topdog/Underdog | Lincoln | Suzan-Lori Parks | |
| 2010 | A Free Man of Color | Jacques Cornet | John Guare | Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Broadway |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The Last of Us Part II | Isaac Dixon | Voice and motion capture[58] |
| 2025 | Dispatch | Chase / Track Star | Voice[69] |
| Year | Title | Role | Production company | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | The Sandman: Act II | Destiny | Audible | [70] |
| Batman: The Audio Adventures | Bruce Wayne/Batman | Blue Ribbon Content |
| Preceded by | Felix Leiter actor 2006 – 2021 | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Commissioner Gordon actor 2021 – present |
