Jeffrey Wright finds it “healthy” to play supporting roles.
The 58-year-old star has had smaller parts in No Time to Die and The Batman and finds it “good for the ego” to blend into the background in a major blockbuster.
“Yeah, I don’t always need to be the lead in a film. I think it’s healthy to play supporting roles, too. It’s good for the ego,” said Wright to the i newspaper.
However, Wright does have a leading role as the frustrated writer and professor Dr. Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in the movie ‘American Fiction and praised the studio’s promotion of the picture for helping him land a nomination for the Best Actor Oscar.
“I’ve never had that in my career before. Never. These awards are not a reflection necessarily of the quality of work. There are so many wonderful performances that go unrecognized,” he explained.
The Asteroid City star has been acting for more than 30 years and says he has “no complaints” about his career despite only earning Academy Award recognition with his latest role.
“I make choices that are more creative sometimes, more pragmatic others, relative to my responsibilities to my family. But in the last few years I’ve enjoyed almost everything that I’ve worked on. Everything has its own value for me. I have no complaints about my career,” Wright said.
“I’m sitting here in lovely confines. Just been nominated for an Oscar. It’s all good,” he added.
Wright starred as 007’s friend Felix Leiter in three Bond movies and revealed that he would consider a return to the famous franchise despite being killed off in the 2021 film No Time To Die.
“Yeah. Or if there’s a ‘ghost of Felix Leiter’ moment, then I’ll certainly consider doing that. But at the same time, I had a great run on those films, together with Daniel [Craig], Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson and I’m very happy to let that be,” Wright told Deadline.
