Jeffrey Wright Discusses Erasure, the Novel that Inspired American Fiction: ‘It’s A Great Read’ (Exclusive)

Jeffrey Wright shared his thoughts on American fictionsource material and spoiler alert: he’s a fan. Speaking with PEOPLE at the American Black Film Festival Honors in Los Angeles on March 3, the Oscar nominee — who is up for best actor for his role in American fiction — praised the book on which the film was based: the 2001 novel Deletion Percival Everett. “Percival Everett is a brilliant writer: witty, seriously smart about the issues he raises, fluent in the issues and nuances of racial culture, but also wide-ranging in his interests,” Wright said of the author. “He said that he doesn’t write autobiographical pieces, but that there’s a lot of him woven into this character, Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison, that I play, who is just an incredibly interesting mind… It’s a great read.”

‘Erase’ by Percival Everett.

American fiction and Deletion both follow Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a black author who is frustrated that books filled with stereotypes sell better than his own, nuanced works. As a sign of protest, he writes his own stereotypical novel under a pseudonym. The book is immediately sold and takes on a life of its own, leaving Monk to navigate the web of lies he has spun.

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The film, directed by Cord Jefferson and nominated for five Oscars this year, including Best Picture, is a satirical look at the publishing industry and the literary world. Wright said the film reaches an even larger audience than book fans, serving as a “springboard” for a broader conversation about representation. “We want to be authentic to ourselves,” he said. “We want to be as creatively, intellectually free as we can be and move through the world that way.”

Jeffrey Wright in ‘American Fiction’.

Claire Folger

“So the film, I think, has universal appeal,” he continued. “It’s not just limited to the publishing world and it’s not just limited to the black experience. We wanted to make a film that would touch people regardless of their background, across borders, and I think we did.”

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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Wright, who previously appeared on television shows such as Western worldand who has an Emmy Award for his role in the HBO miniseries Angels in Americasees his first Oscar nomination with American fiction. He previously told PEOPLE about the moment he received the news. “There were loads of messages and phone calls and well wishes, and it was quite touching,” he said. The 96th Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 10 at 7:00 PM ET.

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Source: HIS Education