N e w Yo r k
State of Mind
↑ “It’s one of
those books that
resonates on
deep, humanistic,
personal levels,”
Jeffrey Wright
says of the Gold-
finch novel
↗ Hobie (Wright)
teaching a young
Theo (Oakes
Fegley) the art
of antiquingIn The Goldfinch, Emmy
winner JEFFREY WRIGHT
gives a standout
supporting turn as a
kind, lonely Manhattan
antiques dealer.
BY DAVID CANFIELD
HOBIE PROVIDES THE GOLDFINCH
(Sept. 13) with its safe, cozy refuge.
Portrayed by Jeffrey Wright in the
film take on Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer
Prize-winning novel, he guides
young hero Theo (played by Oakes
Fegley as a child, Ansel Elgort as
an adult) through tragedy, loss, and
love. EW spoke with Wright about
finding his way into this epic story.Hobie runs an antique shop, where
he really connects with Theo.
How did you approach their bond?
JEFFREY WRIGHT When they [con-
nect after] a strange, fateful event
that intertwines their destinies,Theo finds solace in this man and
in this place that have resonances
of his mother, of all the things she
loved and shared with him. But
there’s solace on both sides. What’s
borne of that is this strange New
York family. [Laughs]Right, it’s such a New York film. Did
the setting help you find this story?
It’s been a while since I shot in New
York. When we began filming, I
was reminded of the density, detail,
tonality, texture, and life the city
brings to the screen. Much of the
movie is an ode to New York, and
the humanity that lives inside what
seems to be at times a cold, callous
city. And you get the sense that
Hobie has found himself in the city.Did you visit antique shops?
A man named Jonathan Burden took
me under his wing. I went to his
shop in Queens. He showed me how
to touch these pieces, how to see
them. But I used to go antiquing
with my mom [as] a kid. This allowed
me to reflect on those memories.You live in Brooklyn. Did you draw
at all from your time in New York?
When I first moved to New York
before grad school, I got a job as a
bike messenger. You went into
these places that were completely
unimaginable. “Oh, you make 5,000
cheesecakes a day?” You’d find these
worlds that exist, like [Hobie’s].