When choosing a role, there is a period of serious contemplation that is involved. Characters that actors choose to portray, sometimes define the character of the actors themselves. It takes serious thought when you examine what you can add to your entire body of work. Some get it right, while others may not succeed in doing so. I think this man has definitely got it right.
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Wright as Dominican Drug Lord Peoples Hernandez in "Shaft" |
You’ve seen him, but you haven’t really seen him. You vaguely know the face, but you can’t quite place the name. You are certain you have seen him in Shaft, The Manchurian Candidate, Syriana, and Casino Royale. He has shared the big screen with cinematic heavyweights such as George Clooney, Al Pacino, Samuel Jackson, and Denzel Washington. From heroin addicted artist to civil rights leader, this distinguished gentleman has tackled both diverse and complex roles. Jeffrey Wright just may be the best actor that you have never heard of. Wright plays Jean-Michel Basquiat in “Basquiat” in the picture below.
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| Wright plays Jean-Michel Basquiat in “Basquiat” |
With a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Wright chose to forgo law school and try his hand at acting in both theater and cinema. What followed was a series of critically acclaimed performances where he portrayed gay nurse Norman Arriga in Angels in America, Martin Luther King, Jr. in Boycott, and Jean-Michel Basquiat in Basquiat.
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Wright as Attorney Bennett Holiday in "Syriana" |
The payoff from such hard work resulted in winning a Tony, Emmy, American Film Institute award, and Golden Globe. Wright has continued to add serious roles to his resume and will continue to garner many more accolades. Next up for versatile Wright, he will portray General Colin Powell in Oliver Stones’s W.
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