Jeffrey Wright was born on December 7, 1965 in Washington, D.C. Jeff's father died when he was a year old, and he was raised by his mother, a lawyer, now retired from the U.S. Customs Department, and his aunt, a former nurse. Jeffrey is happily married to Carmen Ejogo, his co-star in Boycott, and they have a son.

His first film hit came in 1996 with the acclaimed film Basquiat. Playing the lead role of Jean Michel Basquiat, his performance and the film were praised by critics and nominated for numerous awards.

He also starred in Celebrity (1998), Ride with the Devil (1998), Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (2000), Shaft (2000), Ali (2001) and D-Tox (2002).

For his role as Martin Luther King Jr. in the TV movie Boycott (2001), Wright won an AFI Award. His last projects include The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Lady in the Water (2005) and Casino Royale (2006).

Wright married actress Carmen Ejogo in August 2000.

Filmography

• Little Scarlet (2008)
• Quantum of Solace (2008)
• One Blood (2008)
• The Invasion (2007)
• Blackout (2007)
• Casino Royale (2006)
• Lady in the Water (2006)
• Syriana (2005)
• Broken Flowers (2005)
• Lackawanna Blues (2005)
• The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
• Sin's Kitchen (2004)
• "Angels in America" (6 episodes, 2003)
• D-Tox (2002)
• Ali (2001)
• Boycott (2001)
• Shaft (2000)
• Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (2000)
• Hamlet (2000)
• Ride with the Devil (1999)
• Cement (1999)
• Blossoms and Veils (1998)
• Meschugge (1998)
• Celebrity (1998)
• Too Tired to Die (1998)
• "Homicide: Life on the Street" (3 episodes, 1997)
• Critical Care (1997)
• Basquiat (1996)
• Faithful (1996)
• "New York Undercover" (1 episode, 1994)
• "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" (2 episodes, 1993)
• Jumpin' at the Boneyard (1992)
• Separate But Equal (1991)
• Presumed Innocent (1990)

Awards

• Emmy Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie "Angels in America" 2004
• Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for "Angels in America" 2004
• American Film Institute Award Actor of the Year - Male - Movie or Mini-Series "Boycott" 2001
• Toronto Film Critics Association Award Best Supporting Actor "Shaft" 2000
• Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play "Angels in America: Perestroika" 1994
• Outer Critics Circle Award Best Supporting Actor in a Play "Angels in America: Perestroika" 1994
• Tony Featured Actor in a Play "Angels in America: Perestroika" 1994