Photo: Frank Sun / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on November 19, 1979 in Miami, Florida, United States, Barry Jenkins is a filmmaker, film director and actor. That puts Barry Jenkins at 46 years old in 2026. Schooling on record includes Miami Northwestern Senior High School and Florida State University. Awards on record include Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (2017), Time 100 (2017) and Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Director (2016). Credited works include Moonlight and Mufasa: The Lion King.
My Take
Jenkins is, to my mind, one of the most quietly radical filmmakers working today. Moonlight earned its Oscar not through spectacle but through patience, letting silence, glances, and that famous wash of blue light carry the emotional weight. What moves me is his refusal to raise his voice; he trusts tenderness and restraint where others reach for melodrama. Coming from Miami's Liberty City, he brings lived intimacy to stories of loneliness and longing. Even as he scales up to a project like Mufasa, I hope he keeps that gift for noticing the unspoken, because that perception is what makes his work unmistakable.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Barry Jenkins
- Name (Japanese)
- バリー・ジェンキンス
- Reading
- ばりー・じぇんきんす
- Born
- November 19, 1979 (age 46)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Goat
- Origin
- Miami, Florida, United States
- Occupation
- filmmaker / film director / actor / film producer / film screenwriter
2. Background
- High school
- Miami Northwestern Senior High School
- University
- Florida State University
Awards & achievements
- 2017 Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
- 2017 Time 100
- 2016 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Director
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Moonlight | — | |
| Notable work | Mufasa: The Lion King | — |
4. Links
- Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/bandrybarry/
- Xhttps://x.com/BarryJenkins
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry%20Jenkins
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%90%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AD%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B9
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q26821227
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-18
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Barry Jenkins born?
Born November 19, 1979 (age 46).
Where is Barry Jenkins from?
Barry Jenkins is from Miami, Florida, United States.
What does Barry Jenkins do?
Barry Jenkins works as filmmaker, film director, actor, film producer, film screenwriter.
What is Barry Jenkins known for?
Notable works include Moonlight, Mufasa: The Lion King.
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