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Jeffrey Wright is one of the five actors nominated for the Best Actor Award for his filmAmerican Fictionat the 96th Academy Awards. Wright has been a prominent name in this award season, winning nominations in Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and SAG Awards. TheWhat If…?actor revealed that he would have damaged his screens if the news were any different from the Academy.
Along with Wright, the film received five nominations in total. The other nominations include Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Supporting Actor for Sterling K. Brown. Director Cord Jefferson earlier won the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Also Read:Jeffrey Wright Was Insulted in a Weird Way By “Legendary” Director Who Flew Him By Private Plane To an Audition
Jeffrey Wright Expected Nothing Less Than A Nomination From The Academy
InAmerican Fiction,Jeffrey Wrightplays the role of fictional writer Thelonious “Monk” Ellison who is frustrated that his critically praised work fails to garner significant sales. Monk writes a book incorporating all Black stereotypes as a satire, only to find it achieving both high sales and praise upon publication. The interesting premise of the film was based on the 2001 novel,Erasure, by Percival Everett.
The film was a hit on the festival circuit and collected $8.9 million at the box office. Wright’s performance in the film was anticipated to receive recognition in the major awards. When the Oscar nominations were announced on January 23, Wright was among the five Best Actor nominees. Wright revealed to The New York Times that he would have been disappointed if he had been overlooked for the nomination.
He revealed that during the announcement of the nominations, he had only his phone with him.The Batmanactor took this precaution out of fear that he would damage the screens if the news was unfavorable. When his phone started lighting up, Wright sensed that it would be good news. Notably, this nomination isThe Hunger Gamesactor’s first at the Oscars, despite previously winning a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Tony Award. Wright toldThe New York Times:
“I didn’t have screens on beyond my phone, which I kept an eye on. I was afraid that I might do damage to one of the screens if the news were different. So I just let the phone tell me what had happened and it started to light up and it seemed that the news was good.”
Wright revealed that he was proud of his film. TheRustinactor shared that the crew realized the potential of the film while they were making it. Upon release, audiences also agreed with the crew thatAmerican Fictionwas indeed a special film. As Wright gears up for the Oscars, he faces tough competition, includingCillian MurphyforOppenheimer,Paul GiamattiforThe Holdovers,Colman DomingoforRustin, andBradley CooperforMaestro.
Also Read:“That’s not happening,”: Westworld Star Jeffrey Wright Quit Show That Refused To Let Him Say 1 Word
Jeffrey Wright Explains WhyAmerican Fiction‘s Nominations Are Important
American Fictionwriter/director Cord Jefferson wrote the role of Monk with Jeffrey Wright in mind. Wright revealed that he was attracted to the character upon initial reading. TheCasino Royaleactor expressed particular admiration for the first scene of the film, which immediately caught his attention. Wright shared that the scene was“sharply drawn and smart and funny, and a wonderful framing of a conversation.”
However, for Wright, what sets the nominations forAmerican Fictionapart is its underdog status compared to the other big-budget nominees. The film was made on a budget comparable to the “craft services budget” of the other films. It took only 25 days to complete the film’s production. TheAsteroid Cityactor shared that these“little guys”were able to interest audiences in great numbers with their film.
Also Read:“A sense of humor that we haven’t always seen”: Jeffrey Wright’s The Watcher Returns With New Qualities To Vin Diesel’s MCU Series
Jeffrey Wright also added that the nominations meant so much for his career, as they had garnered him a level of support he hadn’t experienced with any of his previous leading projects.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
