Jeffrey Wright

Born Dec. 7, 1965, in Washington, D.C., Jeffrey Wright was raised by his mother -- an attorney for the U.S. Customs Department -- when his father died during Wright's infancy. Planning to follow in his mom's footsteps, Wright majored in political science at college, but the acting bug bit. After graduating, he won a scholarship to study acting at New York University but soon dropped out to pursue the profession full time.

His decision proved wise: In 1993, Wright was cast as Roy Cohn's flamboyant nurse in "Angels in America, Perestroika," a role that netted the actor a Tony Award and an Emmy when he reprised the part in the HBO miniseries. More accolades followed for his performance as the title character in Basquiat (1996).

Other notable films for Wright include Ali (2001), The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Broken Flowers (2005) and the James Bond saga Casino Royale (2006).

Filmography