Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
Interviewing Jeffrey Wright is a joy. Just before the Oscars, I spoke to him in Los Angeles for the next episode of “Masters of the Game, which launches Season 4 on March 29 on theGrioTV. He was riding high on the wings of his brilliant starring role in “American Fiction,” one of the best films of 2023. I know Wright. We live in the same Brooklyn neighborhood, and we run into each other from time to time. He’s always got a kind smile for an old friend.
Wright is one of the best actors in Hollywood. He’s a master of his craft, and I’m thrilled every time I see him pop up from playing Commissioner Gordon in “The Batman” to Roebuck Wright in “The French Dispatch.” His acting shows his intelligence and his understanding of human nature.
Because it’s “Masters of the Game,” I wanted to hear him talk about what it means to be a master actor. Three big ideas stand out from our hour-long conversation.
First, to be a master actor, it’s valuable to be truly immersed in the work. When Wright was much younger, back when he was working on his first big film role in “Basquiat,” he thought about work all the time. “Early in my career,” he said, “I could think about a character for 24 hours a day. In ‘Basquiat,’ I thought about that man’s life in my dreams.” He continued, “I could immerse myself.” He was diving soul deep into his characters and you could feel that intensity in the work. It established him quickly as an important actor.
Recommended Stories
That said, as an artist who’s also a parent, he’s learned to channel his immersive moments because he can’t quite lose himself in the work in the same way. “Can’t do that anymore,” he said. “Got kids. You know, it’s not always about creative purity. You have…
Read the full article here
