American Fiction’ Oscar Nominee Jeffrey Wright Admits He Once Slept Through His ‘Angels in America’ Entrance

When you assemble the SAG Award-nominated ensemble of “American Fiction” – John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Jeffrey Wright (also individually nominated for Best Actor and Oscar-nominated for the film) – it’s inevitable to inquire about their humble beginnings. While discussing their first jobs for the union, Ross shared that, like many actors, she started with a commercial – one for Infiniti cars.

However, her co-stars soon revealed unexpectedly significant stories about their inaugural SAG-AFTRA gigs. Wright recounted his on-screen debut opposite Burt Lancaster and Sidney Poitier in the 1991 miniseries “Separate but Equal,” portraying the Brown v. Board of Education court case. “My first scene was with Sidney Poitier,” Wright disclosed. Alexander began her journey in a 1986 film called “My Little Girl,” starring Mary Stuart Masterson, Geraldine Page, and – in her film debut – Jennifer Lopez. As for Ortiz…

Ross quipped, “My Infiniti commercial is becoming less impressive by the minute…”

Ortiz then shared his experience of meeting casting director Bonnie Timmerman for an undisclosed project. “I had never been in a movie or TV show,” he reminisced. “It was just a cold audition.” At the conclusion, Timmerman mentioned she would try to arrange a meeting with director Brian DePalma. Ortiz ultimately landed a role in 1993’s “Carlito’s Way,” marking his film debut alongside Al Pacino and Sean Penn.

“Gosh, I need to up my game,” Ross joked. “In ten years, when you see me on a panel, my story will be completely different.”

Despite just receiving his first Oscar nod for “American Fiction,” Wright boasts an Emmy and a Tony Award. He earned the latter for his role in the 1994 production of the second part of Tony Kushner’s acclaimed play “Angels in America: Perestroika.” (He later won an Emmy for the 2004 TV adaptation of both plays.) However, the seasoned theater actor recalled a mishap during a matinee performance of the show where he accidentally overslept between shows. Given the lengthy runtime of a two-show day, Wright was napping backstage.

“The alarm clock went off, and I hit snooze,” he confessed. His co-star waited on stage, alone in a hospital room set. “I emerged a minute, a minute and a half late to do the scene.”

Following the performance, Wright was overcome with emotion. “Then I overheard someone say, ‘You know, the most touching part of that whole show was when he’s waiting there on stage in the hospital bed all by himself for so long. And then finally, his friend shows up.’”

Reflecting on the incident, Wright remarked, “We’re sometimes too harsh on ourselves. Sometimes imperfection is precisely what’s needed. But evidently, it resonated with someone that afternoon.”