The Cast of 'The Wire': Where Are They Now?

When HBO's The Wire premiered on June 2, 2002, critics adored it but audiences were slow to find it. However, once it picked up momentum, it became a hit, and served as a launching pad for some of the biggest actors working today.

At the show's start, Dominick West, Sonja Sohn and Lance Reddick were among the biggest names; these days, you'll recognize such A-listers as Michael B. Jordan, Idris Elba and Tristan Wilds as those who got their start on the gritty, darkly comedic series about the institutions that revolve around Baltimore's crime scene, from the media to the police officers to the criminals themselves.

Catch up on what the cast members of The Wire have been up to since it wrapped in 2008. (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)

Dominic West: James McNulty

From watching Dominic West's portrayal of detective James 'Jimmy' McNulty, you might guess the actor was a Baltimore native. However, it's all just really great dialect work as West actually hails from the U.K.

"Whenever I open my mouth in a room full of Wire fans I'm conscious of a sort of deflation of, 'Oh, dear. He's not McNulty,'" the actor joked in an interview with Absolutely Radio. "It's nice that people thought I am American — otherwise it wouldn't have worked, would it?"

These days, West is playing it close to home as he portrays Prince Charles in season five of Netflix'sThe Crown. Prior to landing the royal gig, he also played the polarizing Noah Solloway on Showtime's The Affair.

In real life, West has been married to his wife, Catherine Fitzgerald, since 2010. The pair share four children.

Lance Reddick: Cedric Daniels

Fans of The Wire — and his subsequent works — were shocked to learn of Reddick's death when TMZ broke the news on March 17.

A rep for the beloved actor confirmed his death to PEOPLE, saying, "Acclaimed actor Lance Reddick passed away suddenly this morning from natural causes."

After his tenure as the staunch and dutiful Lieutenant Daniels on The Wire, Reddick starred in the John Wick franchise as well as the recently rebooted White Men Can't Jump.

He is survived by his wife Stephanie Reddick and children Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick.

Michael B. Jordan: Wallace

These days you know him as 2020's PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive, but before he was making the ladies swoon, Michael B. Jordan was tugging at their heartstrings in his role as Wallace — a sweet neighborhood teenager with a big heart just trying to find his place in the drug-ridden Baltimore scene.

Since leaving show after his character's heartbreaking murder, the dimpled actor has graced the big screen, making a splash as Oscar Grant in 2013's Fruitvale Station, before taking on Killmonger in Black Panther and Adonis Johnson in the Creed franchise.

Earlier this year, the talented powerhouse made his feature film directorial debut, serving both in front of and behind the camera on the critically acclaimed Creed III.

Idris Elba: Stringer Bell

As with West, fans were staggered when they learned Idris Elba, who played criminal mastermind Stringer Bell on the series, was actually from the U.K.

But the actor said he worked incredibly hard to pass as a Baltimore native in order to impress creator David Simon.

“David Simon specifically told Alexa Fogel, who was the casting director, ‘Listen, this is about Baltimore. I don’t want to see no non-Americans for any of these roles, I need people that can really relate to the story I’m trying to tell here’ — which is a very fair thing to ask for, considering how observant he is of the culture,” he revealed during an episode of Hot Ones.

Obviously, his accent won Simon over as Elba was hired and would give the breakthrough performance of his career in the first three seasons of the show.

Following The Wire, Elba became a household name thanks to roles in Luther and The Office as well as his role as Heimdall in several Marvel films — not to mention, a stint as PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive.

In April 2019, the actor and DJ tied the knot with model Sabrina Dhowre in a gorgeous Moroccan ceremony.

Wood Harris: Avon Barksdale

Playing the notorious drug kingpin at the head of the Barksdale Organization was veteran actor, Wood Harris.

Prior to landing the role on The Wire, Harris had a solid career going, with roles in iconic films Above the Rim, Paid in Full, and Remember the Titans.

Harris followed up his role on The Wire as Brooke Payne in the acclaimed BET series The New Edition Story.

These days, you can catch him playing Tony 'Little Duke' Evers alongside Michael B. Jordan in Creed, as well as Spencer Haywood on Max's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.

Sonja Sohn: Kima Greggs

As police officer Kima Greggs, Sohn portrayed a woman who was tough, dedicated, thorough and could tackle criminals like any of her fellow squad members.

Her post-The Wire life has had highs and lows, but her career has stayed steady, with roles in hit shows including The Chi and Star Trek: Discovery. She currently stars as Amanda Wagner on ABC's police procedural, Will Trent.

Michael K. Williams: Omar Little

People would run when they heard the signature whistle from Michael K. Williams' Omar Little, a stickup man who lives by his own moral code and shows no mercy to those he thinks deserve to be at the end of his 12-gauge shotgun. But as a gay man, he is also vulnerable to the actions of others on the street.

Williams' earned credit for his thoughtful portrayal of Little, but said initially he was conflicted about taking the role that would make his career.

“As for Omar’s homosexuality, it was groundbreaking 20 years ago, and I admit that at first I was scared to play a gay character,” Williams wrote in his memoir Scenes of My Life, per Variety.

“I think my initial fear of Omar’s sexuality came from my upbringing, the community that raised me, and the stubborn stereotypes of gay characters. Once I realized that Omar was non-effeminate, that I didn’t have to talk or walk in a flamboyant way, a lot of that fear drained away. I made Omar my own. He wasn’t written as a type, and I wouldn’t play him as one.”

Williams died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in his Brooklyn apartment on Sept. 6, 2021. He was 54.

Andre Royo: Bubbles

Tugging at our heartstrings was Bubbles, the drug-addict-turned-informant with a big heart, portrayed by Andre Royo.

Following The Wire, Royo went on to star in Prime Video's Hand of God which ran from 2014 to 2017, and he snagged a supporting role on Fox's hit show Empire, playing Lucious Lyon's lawyer, Thurston "Thirsty" Rawlings.

Deirdre Lovejoy: Rhonda Pearlman

Navigating the corrupt law system in Baltimore wasn't always easy and Deirdre Lovejoy's Rhonda Pearlman was evidence of that. The assistant state's attorney often found her professional interests in direct conflict with her personal ones.

In real life, however, Lovejoy's career seems to be going much smoother. She's appeared in a string of other cop procedurals including Without a Trace, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Criminal Minds.

Most recently, she played U.S. senator Cynthia Panabaker on NBC's The Blacklist.

Jamie Hector: Marlo Stanfield

Giving the Barksdale Organization a literal run for their money was Marlo Stanfield, the drug kingpin who entered the scene in season three. The antagonist was played by the Brooklyn-born actor Jamie Hector.

It seems the knack for crime series stuck with Hector as he starred in Prime Video's Bosch, which aired from 2014 to 2021 on the streaming service. Hector also made appearances in All Eyez on Me, Wu Tang: An American Saga and Queen of the South, throughout the years.

Wendell Pierce: Bunk Moreland

McNulty's best friend and ally inside the police department, Wendell Pierce's Bunk Moreland never let his love for the job get in the way of his love for partying.

Following The Wire, the veteran actor continued steadily working, with roles on The Michael J. Fox show, Selma, Suits (where he played Meghan Markle's father), The Odd Couple and Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, as well as another David Simon show, Treme.

Tristan 'Mack' Wilds: Michael Lee

You may recognize him as the handsome love interest in Adele's "Hello" music video, but Tristan Wilds is another young thespian who developed their acting chops on The Wire. The now 33-year-old was only 15 when he was cast on the show.

He went on to snag a role on The CW's reboot of 90210 and would link up with fellow The Wire alums, Michael B. Jordan and Method Man in George Lucas' Red Tails.

These days, Wilds is a father of two daughters — Tristyn Naomi, 3, and Naima Elizabeth, 6 months — whom he shares with wife Christina Wilds. He also stars in Apple TV+'s Swagger.

Seth Gilliam: Ellis Carver

Actor Seth Gilliam played the guy who's intentions were always good, but his execution was a bit more questionable: Lieutenant Ellis Carver.

After The Wire, Gilliam landed on another hit show: The Walking Dead, where he played the morally conflicted Father Gabriel, though he works steadily on TV and in films including Oz and Teen Wolf. His personal life has had some ups and downs as well; happily, he has been married to director Leah C. Gardiner for nearly two decades, working with her on several Shakespeare productions.

Aiden Gillen: Tommy Carcetti

Nowadays, Aiden Gillen is mostly recognizable as the sneaky, conniving Lord Baelish from Game of Thrones, but the actor has been playing shady politicians for HBO since his stint as ambitious city councilman Tommy Carcetti onThe Wire, which began in the show's second season.

Gillen has also appeared in Peaky Blinders, Those Who Wish Me Dead and Mayor of Kingstown.

Chris Bauer: Frank Sobotka

Another HBO company man, Chris Bauer played the ditzy Andy Bellefleur on True Blood and Bobby Dwyer on The Deuce after his stint as Frank Sobotka in season two of The Wire.

Amy Ryan: Beatrice 'Beadie' Russell

Amy Ryan truly has range: The actress went from playing the serious and duty-bound officer Russell on The Wire to goofing off and pulling pranks as Michael Scott's love interest, Holly Flax, on The Office.

Ryan landed an Oscar nomination for her role in 2007's Gone Baby Gone and has had earned even more acclaim for roles in Changeling, which starred Angelina Jolie, Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks, and most recently Only Murders in the Building, which earned her a Screen Actors Guild nomination.

This year, she had an appearance in the Joaquin Phoenix-led Beau Is Afraid, which came out in April. She is married to former Saturday Night Live writer Eric Slovin and they have one daughter.

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