AceShowbiz - Jeffrey Wright had "a disdain for making money" at the start of his career. The 58-year-old actor wasn't motivated by money during his younger years - but becoming a dad changed his entire outlook on life.

"Early on, I had a disdain for making money. In my self-righteous way, with the self-righteousness of youth, I thought it was impure. I never wanted to work in sitcoms. I didn't want to 'create the brand.' I didn't want to placate the market," the Hollywood star - who has Elijah and Juno with his ex-wife Carmen Ejogo - told The Independent.

Jeffrey believes his mom helped to instil really good values in him. The award-winning actor shared, "I was an only child, so there was a lot of focus on me. My mom had high expectations."

"As a teenager, I was an athlete. I played American football and lacrosse. I was a goalie in lacrosse and my mom would come to my games. I could have a stellar game. I could have made 20 saves and only let one goal in and she might ask me, 'What happened? Why did you let that one in?' "

"I was in elementary school. There was a grade I was given. 'Very good'. That was the highest you could get. But she didn't know that. She said, 'Why didn't you get excellent?' "

Jeffrey ultimately took care of his mom after was diagnosed with cancer. And although she's now passed away, Jeffrey believes she's played a huge role in his success.

He said, "At the same time, no one - when I needed help the most, whether as a kid or an adult - was more reliable and there for me than her. At the worst times in my life, she was my rock and saviour."