In the novel, Meyer Wolfsheim largely appears in chapter 4. He is described as "small" and having a mustache. He is cordial with Nick and Gatsby, but there is an air of mystery, even menace, about him. He is cautious at lunch, looking around suspiciously, and his cufflinks are made of human molars, suggesting a potential for violence. He initially believes Nick is a criminal looking for "connections," only for Gatsby to quickly correct his assumption. Overall, Wolfsheim's character is a living illustration of Gatsby's connection to the criminal underworld, a link which persists even after he became wealthy.

In the clip from the 1974 film, Wolfsheim is far less menacing. While he still has the molar cufflinks, he does not appear suspicious or dangerous. Rather, he is jovial and much older than his book counterpart (in the book, Wolfsheim is fifty years old, while in the 1974 movie, he describes himself as being sixty years old). Physically, he is dissimilar to the book version as well: he sports no mustache and is physically bigger. The scene also does not retain his faux pas regarding Nick.

The 2013 film's Wolfsheim is closer to the mysterious underworld figure from the novel, both physically and in terms of characterization. He dresses like a dapper gangster, and his manner is more guarded yet charismatic. The film also emphasizes his criminal background by making the club in which the characters all have lunch appear more like a speakeasy, complete with a secret entrance, dancing chorus girls, and drunken reveling. Overall, the 2013 movie, while more exaggerated than the novel, is closer in capturing Wolfsheim's essence: likable, secretive, and undoubtedly dangerous.