Jeffrey Wright On His First Oscar Nomination For ‘American Fiction’, Plus A Celebrated Career From Broadway To Bond To Batman – The Actor’s Side

Jeffrey Wright is no stranger to awards. He’s won an Emmy, a Tony and a Golden Globe all in fact for playing the same role: Nurse Belize in Angels In America, first on Broadway and then for the HBO limited series directed by Mike Nichols. Now he has his first-ever Oscar nomination as Lead Actor playing Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in American Fiction, for which he is also up for two SAG Awards including lead actor and outstanding cast.

This recognition is way overdue for an actor who has consistently turned in exceptional work onstage, in TV, and in the movies. Wright joins me today for the latest edition of my Deadline video series The Actor’s Side in which we discuss his remarkable career, one that also includes such blockbuster franchises as James Bond (Felix in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, No Time to Die); The Hunger Games as Beetee; and now as Jim Gordon in The Batman and its upcoming sequel. On television he has played a variety of roles, most notably his Emmy-nominated work in Westworld as Bernard Lowe, What If…. , The Watcher, Boardwalk Empire and so many more.

After breaking out in Basquiat, Wright has done a wide range of films including his membership in Wes Anderson’s rep company of actors in films like The French Dispatch, Asteroid City and more to come. Plus movies like Presumed Innocent, W, Syriana, Shaft and as Adam Clayton Powell in another of this year’s films, Rustin, opposite fellow Best Actor nominee Colman Domingo.

To watch our conversation and to get the “actor’s Side” of it all, click on the video above.

Join me for The Actor’s Side all throughout Oscar season.