Why Mr. Harmon From Monster Looks So Familiar
"Monster" is a legal drama based on a book by Walter Dean Myers. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018 and will be released on Netflix on May 7, 2021. "Monster" follows a young boy named Steve Harmon (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), an honor student whose life comes to a screeching halt when he is charged with a felony murder. Instead of worrying about keeping his grades up, Steve now must prove his innocence in court or risk living the rest of his life in prison.
The film has a large and impressive cast, and for those who have either seen it or seen who is starring in it, some faces may seem familiar. This is especially true with Dr. Harmon, Steve's father, played by Jeffrey Wright. Wright has appeared in quite a few productions, and if you're wondering where you've seen him before, here's look at some of his most notable roles.
Jeffrey Wright was an ally to James Bond
"James Bond" fans might recognize Jeffrey Wright as CIA operative Felix Leiter, first appearing in the well-received 2006 movie "Casino Royale" alongside Daniel Craig. He aids Bond during a high-stakes poker game against Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) with a large buy-in when Bond is unable to beat the criminal himself.
Wright reprised the role in "Quantum of Solace" in 2008, though rewrites caused his part to be cut in size. While he doesn't appear in "Spectre," the character is mentioned as someone who Bond calls on for help. It has been revealed that Wright will return for the next "James Bond" installment, "No Time to Die," slated to be released this September in the U.K. and this October in the U.S. Wright's reprisal makes him the only actor to play the character three times, beating David Hedison, who had played Felix Leiter twice in 1973 and 1989 (via Screen Rant).
Jeffrey Wright made his mark on Boardwalk Empire as Valentin Narcisse
From 2013 to 2014, Jeffrey Wright portrayed Dr. Valentin Narcisse in the hit HBO period drama "Boardwalk Empire." Following the murder of his employee by Dunn Purnsley, he is given 10% of Chalky White's Onyx Club. Because of this deal, he is in close proximity to Chalky throughout the fourth season, allowing Wright much screen time with Michael Kenneth William. Narcisse's involvement with the club brings complications with Chalky and introduces Daughter Maitland (Margot Bingham), a beautiful singer with a haunted past who has an affair with Chalky and is implied to have given birth to his child.
Though Wright was only in the last two seasons of the series — getting his send-off when he is gunned down by Luciano's men — he made quite an impact. Wright portrayed Narcisse as highly educated, collected, and even a little frightening: His attitude is very similar to that of Michael Stuhlbarg's Arnold Rothstein. There are plenty of memorable moments with Narcisse, but who could forget his meeting with Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) and his smooth yet haunting question: "What shall we do, Mr. Thompson? What shall we do?"
Jeffrey Wright brought Beetee to life
During his run on "Boardwalk Empire," Jeffrey Wright also played a key role in the film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games." He first appeared as Beetee Latier in "Catching Fire" and reprised the part in "Mockingjay – Part 1" and "Mockingjay – Part 2." Beetee is the victor of a Hunger Games and is chosen as part of the Quarter Quell alongside Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson).
Beetee is different from the other tributes. Instead of relying on strength to best his opponents, he relies on his mind. He is able to think through situations, notice small details, and work deftly with wires and electronics. Despite not being much of a fighter, Beetee makes up for it by being tech-savvy; this allows him to fight enemies with electrocution, as well as to destroy the arena.
Wright had not read the books prior to be casted, but he did his research, according to Hypable. He was amazed by the politics of the series and how Collins was able to look at different viewpoints simultaneously. Wright's casting came from the director's desire to work with him, an opportunity that was previously missed. "He called and asked if I'd consider it. I read the script and saw the first movie. It didn't take long for me to accept that invitation," Wright said.
All four films of the series were well-received, with "Catching Fire" deemed the best with a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Jeffrey Wright took on another HBO series
Two years after the finale of "Boardwalk Empire," Jeffrey Wright was cast in another HBO series. This time, it was "Westworld," inspired by the 1970s movie featuring a western-themed amusement park with highly realistic animatronics where guests pay an insane amount of money to live out any and all fantasies without consequence.
Wright portrays Bernard Lowe, head of the park's programming division and a programmer for the inhabitants' software. He studies the planned scenes and is the one who notices that things have started to go wrong with the hosts. Throughout the series, he speaks to the hosts, in particular Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood), and begins to connect with them. It is later revealed that Bernard is a host himself, having been created by Dr. Ford (Anthony Hopkins) using the consciousness of his late partner, Arnold Weber.
"Westworld" has been critically acclaimed, earning numerous accolades. Wright has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, and it was announced last year that "Westworld" would be renewed for a fourth season. Though there is no news when it will air, actor Thandiwe Newton revealed on Instagram that shooting would begin soon.
Following the show's Season 3 finale, Wright has exciting roles coming up, including the Watcher in Marvel Studios' "What If...?" and Commissioner James Gordon in Matt Reeves' "The Batman" alongside Robert Pattinson.