Jeffrey Wright

Jeffrey Wright’s Oscar-nominated performance in the dark comedy “American Fiction” was exactly what viewers of his work have come to love from him: thoughtful, stirring, and jaundiced. He portrays Thelonious "Monk" Ellison, an educator and author who’s jaded by the difficulties of the publishing industry. He ends up writing a pseudonymous, satirical novel that everyone takes far too seriously. The reaction leaving him to maneuver around his faceless persona while grappling with finally receiving the financial freedom he’s been chasing, but for a work that he hates. Ellison is also dealing with the death of his sister, the ailing health of his mother, and strained relationships with two other siblings. The character is stubborn, haughty, and unaware of his flaws – traits that Wright delivers convincingly. This role is just one of many that have earned him a rep as one of the best in the business. Whether it’s his Tony Award-winning performance as Norman “Belize” Arriaga in “Angels in America,” his portrayal in Jean-Michael Basquiat in the late artist’s eponymous 1996 biopic, or even as Commissioner Jim Gordon in “The Batman,” you can never turn away from him on the screen.