There are only two actors who I would categorize as chameleons, and they are Gary Oldman, and Jeffrey Wright. And by a chameleon, I mean an actor who is SO good, that I can watch an entire movie with them in it and not even realize that they're in the film until I read the end credits, to which I sometimes exclaim, “That was HIM?”
Jeffrey Wright seems to be everywhere right now, from being the voice of The Watcher in Marvel’s What If?... series, to FINALLY getting nominated for an Academy Award, but the man has built an entire career on “That was HIM?” So, here are just 12 must-see roles from the highly diverse actor.
Jean-Michel Basquiat (Basquiat)
Speaking of Gary Oldman, you get both him AND Jeffrey Wright in the movie, Basquiat, which is based on the life of the artist of the same name.
While Basquiat may not be Jeffrey Wright’s first film, it’s definitely his breakout role. I’m not entirely sure if Jean-Michel Basquiat was actually like the person that Wright portrays in this movie (he seems kind of shy and quiet here, and I don’t get that impression of him from his often frantic artwork), Wright’s performance is gripping enough that you’re carried along all the same.
Daniel Holt (Ride With The Devil)
Ang Lee has made one of the best westerns of all time in Brokeback Mountain, but one western of his that often gets overlooked is Ride With the Devil, which is about the historical battle between the Bushwackers and the Jayhawks during the Civil War.
For some context, the Bushwackers were on the Confederate side, and the Jayhawks were pro-North. In the film, Jeffrey Wright plays a former slave who had his freedom bought by his friend, who is a Bushwacker. So, yes, as a Black man, Wright’s character is, in a way, “riding with the devil.” But, it’s a unique performance, in a film that’s just rife with unique performances.
Felix Leiter (Casino Royale/Quantum Of Solace)
I’ll be honest. I am NOT a James Bond fan. But, do you know what? I am a Jeffrey Wright fan, and he totally rocked it as the famous James Bond ally, Felix Leiter.
Leiter has, in the past, been played mostly by white actors (Bernie Casey played him in Never Say Never Again, though), but Wright just makes him out to be so cool at the card table as the “brother from Langley,” even though, as he claims, he’s “bleeding chips.” He’s not in Casino Royale (or Quantum of Solace, for that matter) for all that long, but when he’s there, you remember him.
Colin Powell (W.)
As a big Oliver Stone fan, I must admit, I don’t love the movie, W. For the most part, I feel like many of the actors were playing caricatures of the people who were in the White House at the time, rather than actually being them.
However, remember how I mentioned how I sometimes have no idea that Jeffrey Wright is in a movie until the end credits? Well, that was certainly the case with W., where I had no idea that he was the one portraying Colin Powell. Honestly, since I mostly only know Powell from interviews and pictures, I’m not really sure if this is the best representation of the former Secretary of State. But, I’ll tell you this: If Wright is playing him, it’s probably as close as possible.
Beetee (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire/Mockingjay Parts 1 And 2)
It was a while ago, but The Hunger Games movies were massive! And, while all four films featured an all-star cast, Jeffrey Wright as the District 3 tribute, Beetee, always stuck out for me.
It might be because he’s always finishing the other District 3 tribute, Wiress’ sentences, or the fact that he’s so smart, and yet, has to be taught by Katniss how to make a fire. It’s a role that, on the surface, seems like it could be played by anyone, but then you realize that’s only because Wright’s acting is so effortless. Especially when he’s playing one of his many supporting roles.
Various Characters (Angels In America)
To call Angels in America just a story about AIDS would be reductive, as in truth, the HBO miniseries, which won tons of awards (including some for Jeffrey Wright), is essentially a story about people. People dealing with AIDS, of course, but people nonetheless.
Wright played multiple characters in the miniseries, but the one he won awards for was as the nurse, Norman “Belize” Arriaga, where he is all-things-in-one, including a support system, a shoulder to cry on, and an angel in his own right. It’s a potent performance, and one of many where, though he’s not the main character, he certainly feels like it.
Valentin Narcisse (Boardwalk Empire)
Based on New York mobster Casper Holstein, Jeffrey Wright's Valentin Narcisse didn’t appear on the popular HBO drama until Season 4, but he made his presence felt immediately once he did.
It’s probably because he’s just such a scumbag. Playing a Black nationalist, Narcisse is highly calculated in his moves, and you never once feel bad for him, because he makes such terrible decisions and hurts some of the only characters you actually like on the series. There is a sense of justice on the show, bleak as it may be, and what ultimately happens to Wright’s character is evidence of that.
Bernard Lowe (Westworld)
Westworld is an interesting case scenario, as Wright is primarily the main character of this HBO dystopian sci-fi show that lasted for four seasons. The series was a headtrip, and I’d be lying if I told you that I understood all of it. But, I always enjoyed Jeffrey Wright’s performance as the troubled Bernard Lowe.
In a series that’s all about androids, there’s a lot to say about humanity here, and Bernard is the kind of character who you’re always wondering about and questioning. While the show was a bit hard to follow at times, Wright was a pleasure to try to unravel.
Isaac Dixon (The Last Of Us Part II)
We know a few things about Season 2 of The Last of Us, but what we don’t know is if Jeffrey Wright will play Isaac Dixon (or even if Isaac will show up in the next season), as the actor voiced him in the second video game.
The cool thing about Isaac is that he’s a bad guy, but the forces of evil in The Last of Us are so great that you sometimes forget (especially since he’s an antagonist TO an antagonist – if, that is, you even SEE Abby as an antagonist). It’s an understated role, to be sure, but Wright has built his entire career on understated roles.
Jim Gordon (The Batman)
I mentioned Gary Oldman earlier, and it appears that these two actors’ careers keep seeming to intertwine for me, as like Oldman, who played Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies, Jeffrey Wright also plays Gordon, but this time, in Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
This Jim is much younger, so he’s just forming his partnership with the Caped Crusader. It’s a fascinating look at a character who always seems to have his head on his shoulders, as he is just learning the ropes, much like Batman himself. It’s a great performance.
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (Rustin)
As I mentioned in my article on movies to watch for MLK Day, Jeffrey Wright played MLK in Boycott. But, in a strange turn of events, he also appears in Rustin, as a not-so-nice Congressman, Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
Since Rustin is our protagonist, Powell Jr. acts as an antagonist of sorts since he doesn’t want Rustin on the team, because he is adamantly against homosexuality. It’s fascinating to watch Wright play both sides of the line, as he’s just so damn good.
Dr. Thelonious "Monk" Ellison (American Fiction)
Lastly, Wright’s most recent performance (and the one that finally got him that Best Actor nomination) is one for the ages. Based on the novel, Erasure, he plays a frustrated author who decides to write an outlandish novel that uses all of the Black stereotypical tropes imaginable, as a lark, and it ends up being a success.
Like many of his performances, it’s not overblown, and it revels in its nuances, but what else would you expect from one of Hollywood’s very few chameleons?
Jeffrey Wright is one of the best there is. For more news on the highly diverse actor, be sure to swing around here often!
