Quite possibly the most underrated and underexposed actor of his caliber and generation, Jeffrey Wright's undeniable talent and ability to successfully bring to life any role he undertakes is on a par with the most praised and revered A-list actors in the business. Born and raised in Washington DC, Wright graduated from the prestigious Amherst College in 1987. Although he studied Political Science while at Amherst, Wright left the school with something that would prove to be more valuable: a love for acting. Shortly after graduating he won an acting scholarship to NYU, but dropped out after only two months to pursue acting full time. With roles in 1990's Presumed Innocent, and the Broadway production of Angels in America, (in which he won a well deserved Tony award), within a relatively short time Wright was able to show off his exceptional talent and ability on both stage and screen alike. His first major on-screen performance came in 1996 in the Julian Schnabel directed film Basquiat. Wright's harrowing performance as the late painter Jean Michele Basquiat was critically acclaimed for its haunting accuracy and raw emotion. With a Tony, a Golden Globe, and an AFI award under his belt, the intensity of Wright's skill has been proven over and over again. Hopefully the near future will bring an influx of more varied lead roles for black actors so that Wright can continue to astonish his colleagues, critics and fans alike with the intensity of his skill.
Known For
Credits
Cast Credits
Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter (2023)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 1x04: Actor (Jan 7, 2024)
Live with Kelly and Mark (2023)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 2x68: Mark Wahlberg, Jeffrey Wright (Dec 11, 2023)
The Saturday Show with Jonathan Capehart (2023)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 2024-01-27: Episode 4 (Jan 27, 2024)
The Jennifer Hudson Show (2022)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 2x49: 'American Fiction' Cast, Melissa Peterman (Dec 11, 2023)
What If...? (2021)
Starring as Uatu the Watcher
(18 episodes)
- Episode 2x09: What If... Strange Supreme Intervened? (Dec 30, 2023)
- Episode 2x08: What If... The Avengers Assembled in 1602? (Dec 29, 2023)
- Episode 2x07: What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings? (Dec 28, 2023)
- Episode 2x06: What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World? (Dec 27, 2023)
- Episode 2x05: What If... Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper? (Dec 26, 2023)
- Episode 2x04: What If... Iron Man Crashed into the Grandmaster? (Dec 25, 2023)
- Episode 2x03: What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas? (Dec 24, 2023)
- Episode 2x02: What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes? (Dec 23, 2023)
- Episode 2x01: What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps? (Dec 22, 2023)
- Episode 1x09: What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath? (Oct 6, 2021)
- Episode 1x08: What If... Ultron Won? (Sep 29, 2021)
- Episode 1x07: What If… Thor Were an Only Child? (Sep 22, 2021)
- Episode 1x06: What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark? (Sep 15, 2021)
- Episode 1x05: What If... Zombies!? (Sep 8, 2021)
- Episode 1x04: What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands? (Sep 1, 2021)
- Episode 1x03: What If... The World Lost its Mightiest Heroes? (Aug 25, 2021)
- Episode 1x02: What If… T'Challa Became a Star-Lord? (Aug 18, 2021)
- Episode 1x01: What If… Captain Carter Were The First Avenger? (Aug 11, 2021)
Marvel Studios: Assembled (2021)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 1x05: The Making of What If...? (Oct 27, 2021)
While the Rest of Us Die (2020)
Starring as Narrator
(14 episodes)
- Episode 2x08: The Real Drug Lords (Dec 16, 2021)
- Episode 2x07: Radical Religion (Dec 9, 2021)
- Episode 2x06: Pandemic Profiteers (Dec 2, 2021)
- Episode 2x05: Nuke Nightmares (Nov 18, 2021)
- Episode 2x04: Toxic Wasteland (Nov 11, 2021)
- Episode 2x03: Killing Power (Nov 4, 2021)
- Episode 2x02: Food Kills (Oct 28, 2021)
- Episode 2x01: The Game is Rigged (Oct 21, 2021)
- Episode 1x06: Legacy of Lies (Dec 21, 2020)
- Episode 1x05: Collapse (Dec 14, 2020)
- Episode 1x04: National Insecurity (Dec 7, 2020)
- Episode 1x03: The Enemy Within (Nov 30, 2020)
- Episode 1x02: C.O.G. Clusterfuck (Nov 23, 2020)
- Episode 1x01: Doomsday & The President (Nov 16, 2020)
GMA3: What You Need to Know (2020)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
(2 episodes)
- Episode 4x86: Jeffrey Wright, Walter Mendenhall (Jan 17, 2024)
- Episode 2x363: Ed Bastian, Pattie Ehsaei, Chef Dale Talde, Jeffrey Wright (Feb 14, 2022)
Green Eggs and Ham (2019)
Guest starring as McWinkle
(13 episodes)
- Episode 1x13: Anywhere (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x12: There (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x11: Boat (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x10: House (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x09: Goat (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x08: Rain (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x07: Mouse (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x06: Box (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x05: Dark (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x04: Fox (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x03: Train (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x02: Car (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
- Episode 1x01: Here (Nov 8, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
The Kelly Clarkson Show (2019)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 5x58: Jeffrey Wright, Ubah Hassan, Michael Bublé (Jan 19, 2024)
Tamron Hall (2019)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 5x89: Fashion and Making the Pivot (Jan 30, 2024)
The Beat with Ari Melber (2017)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 2024-02-23: Episode 37 (Feb 23, 2024)
Westworld (2016)
Starring as Bernard Lowe
(30 episodes)
- Episode 4x08: Que Será, Será (Aug 14, 2022)
- Episode 4x07: Metanoia (Aug 7, 2022)
- Episode 4x06: Fidelity (Jul 31, 2022)
- Episode 4x04: Generation Loss (Jul 17, 2022)
- Episode 4x03: Années Folles (Jul 10, 2022)
- Episode 3x08: Crisis Theory (May 3, 2020)
- Episode 3x07: Passed Pawn (Apr 26, 2020)
- Episode 3x06: Decoherence (Apr 19, 2020)
- Episode 3x05: Genre (Apr 12, 2020)
- Episode 3x04: The Mother of Exiles (Apr 5, 2020)
- Episode 3x02: The Winter Line (Mar 22, 2020)
- Episode 3x01: Parce Domine (Mar 15, 2020)
- Episode 2x10: The Passenger (Jun 24, 2018)
- Episode 2x09: Vanishing Point (Jun 17, 2018)
- Episode 2x07: Les Écorchés (Jun 3, 2018)
- Episode 2x06: Phase Space (May 27, 2018)
- Episode 2x05: Akane No Mai (May 20, 2018)
- Episode 2x04: The Riddle of the Sphinx (May 13, 2018)
- Episode 2x03: Virtù e Fortuna (May 6, 2018)
- Episode 2x01: Journey Into Night (Apr 22, 2018)
- Episode 1x10: The Bicameral Mind (Dec 4, 2016)
- Episode 1x09: The Well-Tempered Clavier (Nov 27, 2016)
- Episode 1x08: Trace Decay (Nov 20, 2016)
- Episode 1x07: Trompe L'Oeil (Nov 13, 2016)
- Episode 1x06: The Adversary (Nov 6, 2016)
- Episode 1x05: Contrapasso (Oct 30, 2016)
- Episode 1x04: Dissonance Theory (Oct 23, 2016)
- Episode 1x03: The Stray (Oct 16, 2016)
- Episode 1x02: Chestnut (Oct 9, 2016)
- Episode 1x01: The Original (Oct 2, 2016)
Starring as Arnold Weber
(4 episodes)
- Episode 2x08: Kiksuya (Jun 10, 2018)
- Episode 2x02: Reunion (Apr 29, 2018)
- Episode 1x10: The Bicameral Mind (Dec 4, 2016)
- Episode 1x09: The Well-Tempered Clavier (Nov 27, 2016)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (2015)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 2018-11-12: Jeffrey Wright (Nov 12, 2018)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
(2 episodes)
- Episode 2022-02-14: Jeffrey Wright, Alex Borstein, Maxwell (Feb 14, 2022)
- Episode 2018-04-23: Jeffrey Wright, Ali Wentworth, Brothers Osborne, Cheech & Chong (Apr 23, 2018)
Close Up with the Hollywood Reporter (2015)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 3x03: Drama Actors (Jul 9, 2017)
Oscars Opening Ceremony: Live from the Red Carpet (2015)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 2024 Special: The Oscars Red Carpet Show 2024 (Mar 10, 2024)
Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
(4 episodes)
- Episode 2024-02-08: Jeffrey Wright, Jon Cryer, Dan Peters (Feb 8, 2024)
- Episode 2022-03-03: Amy Poehler, Jeffrey Wright, Carter McLean (Mar 3, 2022)
- Episode 2022-01-18: Jeremy Irons, Hilary Duff, Jeff Wright, Daniel Fang (Jan 18, 2022)
- Episode 2018-05-07: John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright, Aaron Spears (May 7, 2018)
Rick and Morty (2013)
Guest starring as Tony
- Episode 4x02: The Old Man and the Seat (Nov 17, 2019) [Special Guest Star]
Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell (2012)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 2x11: Jeffrey Wright (Sep 24, 2013)
Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. (2012)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 6x04: This Land Is My Land (Jan 14, 2020)
Anderson Live (2011)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 2x83: Co-Host D.L. Hughley | Mark Wahlberg | Jeffrey Wright (Jan 18, 2013)
Boardwalk Empire (2010)
Starring as Dr. Valentin Narcisse
(11 episodes)
- Episode 5x08: Eldorado (Oct 26, 2014)
- Episode 5x06: Devil You Know (Oct 12, 2014)
- Episode 5x03: What Jesus Said (Sep 21, 2014)
- Episode 4x12: Farewell Daddy Blues (Nov 24, 2013)
- Episode 4x10: White Horse Pike (Nov 10, 2013)
- Episode 4x09: Marriage and Hunting (Nov 3, 2013)
- Episode 4x08: The Old Ship of Zion (Oct 27, 2013)
- Episode 4x07: William Wilson (Oct 20, 2013)
- Episode 4x04: All In (Sep 29, 2013)
- Episode 4x03: Acres of Diamonds (Sep 22, 2013)
- Episode 4x02: Resignation (Sep 15, 2013)
Made in Hollywood (2005)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 19x16: The Color Purple; American Fiction; The Boys in the Boat (Dec 23, 2023)
Angels in America (2003)
Starring as Belize
(5 episodes)
- Episode 1x06: Perestroika: Chapter Six - Heaven, I'm in Heaven (Dec 14, 2003)
- Episode 1x05: Perestroika: Chapter Five - Beyond Nelly (Dec 14, 2003)
- Episode 1x04: Perestroika: Chapter Four - Stop Moving! (Dec 14, 2003)
- Episode 1x03: Millennium Approaches: Chapter Three - The Messenger (Dec 7, 2003)
- Episode 1x02: Millennium Approaches: Chapter Two - In Vitro (Dec 7, 2003)
Starring as Mr. Lies
(6 episodes)
- Episode 1x06: Perestroika: Chapter Six - Heaven, I'm in Heaven (Dec 14, 2003)
- Episode 1x05: Perestroika: Chapter Five - Beyond Nelly (Dec 14, 2003)
- Episode 1x04: Perestroika: Chapter Four - Stop Moving! (Dec 14, 2003)
- Episode 1x03: Millennium Approaches: Chapter Three - The Messenger (Dec 7, 2003)
- Episode 1x02: Millennium Approaches: Chapter Two - In Vitro (Dec 7, 2003)
- Episode 1x01: Millennium Approaches: Chapter One - Bad News (Dec 7, 2003)
Starring as Angel of Europe
The Venture Bros. (2003)
Guest starring as Think Tank / Dr. Nidaba
- Episode 6x05: Tanks for Nuthin' (Feb 28, 2016)
Jimmy Kimmel Live (2003)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 2024-01-09: Jodie Foster, Jeffrey Wright, Duff McKagan (Jan 9, 2024)
Screen Actors Guild Awards (1995)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 2024-02-24: The 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (Feb 24, 2024)
NAACP Image Awards (1984)
Guest starring as Presenter
- Episode 2024-03-16: 55th Annual NAACP Image Awards (Mar 16, 2024)
Good Morning America (1975)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 2024-01-17: Jeffrey Wright, Prince Royce, Gabito Ballesteros (Jan 17, 2024)
Tony Awards (1957)
Guest starring as Jeffrey Wright
- Episode 2024-06-16: The 77th Annual Tony Awards (Jun 16, 2024)