JEFFREY WRIGHT continues to make his mark as an actor in films, on stage, and on television.
His portrayal of Jean-Michel Basquiat in Julian Schnabel’s Basquiat, which marked his first lead film role, brought him an Independent Spirit Award nomination. His subsequent films have included Sidney Lumet’s Critical Care; Adrian Pasdar’s Cement; Ang Lee’s Ride with the Devil; John Singleton’s Shaft; Michael Mann’s Ali (as Howard Bingham); Jonathan Demme’s The Manchurian Candidate; and Stephen Gaghan’s upcoming Syriana.
Mr. Wright has had a long and rewarding association with New York City’s Public Theatre. He has starred, at and for The Public, in Othello; King Lear; Julius Caesar; Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk; Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Topdog/Underdog (for which he won an OBIE Award and was nominated for a Tony Award); and, most recently, This is How It Goes.
For his portrayal of Belize in Tony Kushner’s two-part theatrical event Angels in America, directed by George C. Wolfe, Mr. Wright won the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. He later reprised the role for Mike Nichols’ epic miniseries, earning Golden Globe and Emmy Awards for his performance, as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
He played Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Clark Johnson’s telefilm Boycott, for which he was honored with an AFI Award. Mr. Wright also starred for frequent collaborator George C. Wolfe in the telefilm Lackawanna Blues, adapted by Ruben Santiago-Hudson from his play.
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