What did Jeffrey Wright say about actress Leslie Uggams?

Jeffrey Wright received the Career Achievement Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival from none other than his American Fiction co-star Leslie Uggams. The Emmy-winning actor humorously admitted to having a longstanding crush on Uggams, who portrays his on-screen mother in the acclaimed film.

Accepting the award on Thursday evening, the 58-year-old actor playfully declared his affection for Uggams, stating, “I’ve had a crush on you since the first day I saw you, mother. Who did not?” Uggams, the legendary actress at 80, began her illustrious career with appearances on renowned variety programs such as The Lawrence Welk Show, Name That Tune, and the Ed Sullivan Show. She earned a Tony Award in 1968 and a Daytime Emmy in 1983, solidifying her status as an icon in both theater and television.

Wright had previously confessed in a December interview with Metro and in a recent W Magazine feature that Uggams had been one of his childhood crushes. “I told her about it on her last day of filming [American Fiction],” he shared in the latter interview.

During the award ceremony in Palm Springs, Uggams playfully addressed Wright’s admission, joking, “Maybe she still has a crush on me. I may be old, but I ain’t dead.” Wright, in turn, acknowledged Uggams in his acceptance speech, expressing surprise at her presenting the award. He recounted a bit of cinematic history, highlighting the impact of representation on film, citing the actor Bert Williams in 1916 and emphasizing the newfound freedom and power brought by figures like Leslie Uggams.

Wright concluded his heartfelt remarks by recognizing Uggams’ pivotal role in his career, stating, “Without Leslie Uggams, I do not stand here. She has won my freedom for me, and I am grateful to Leslie.”

In American Fiction, a film directed and adapted by Cord Jefferson from Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure, Wright portrays Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a frustrated professor who pens a controversial novel full of Black stereotypes to challenge the publishing industry, only for it to unexpectedly become a success. Uggams plays his mother, Agnes Ellison, in this thought-provoking cinematic creation.

Reflecting on the Career Achievement Award, Wright humorously remarked, “I am seriously grateful to be included among the number of distinguished artists who have received this prior to me and also among my fellow honorees tonight, who, as you’ve seen, are just magnificent.”