Wendell Pierce on How His 'Tough' Training Led to 'Kismet Moment' with 'Jack Ryan' and Tony Nomination (Exclusive)

The star of 'Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan' exclusively tells PEOPLE how his acting training prepared him for the reality of show business

With a starring role in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and a recent Tony nomination for his riveting turn in Death of a Salesman on Broadway, Wendell Pierce is riding a career high.

But for Pierce, 59, rewarding roles didn’t always come easily. The actor, who grew up in the neighborhood of Ponchartrain Park in New Orleans, attended The Juilliard School, a “tough” training ground where Pierce felt he wasn’t utilized “well enough” in stage productions.

The exclusive conservatory ultimately readied him for the harsh realities of Hollywood.

“That prepared me for the business, because I got out of school, and I realized, ‘Oh, I'm going to have this challenge throughout my career that people are going to pigeonhole me,’” he tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “People are going to have stereotypes about what I can and cannot do."

Related: Angelina Jolie Reunites with 'Hackers' Costar Wendell Pierce at 'Death of a Salesman' on Broadway

He wasn’t wrong. After years of auditioning for and appearing in several sitcom pilots, Pierce swore off comedies and focused on dramas. Being more selective paid off for the versatile actor.

“The next thing I got was The Wire,” he muses.

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As Detective William “Bunk” Moreland, Pierce invited viewers into the dark, gritty world of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit on The Wire. It’s a character that, even 15 years later, continues to be a career-defining role for him, with people still approaching him everyday, sometimes quoting their favorite expletive-filled lines of Bunk's back to him.

“It’s really great to be reminded that people like The Wire,” he says. “I wish an opportunity like The Wire for every actor.”

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Afterwards, he starred as the trombonist Antoine Baptiste in Treme and landed a recurring role in Suits as Meghan Markle’s onscreen dad.

Pierce’s established career and acting chops by that point undoubtedly helped him land the role of CIA operative James Greer in one of Prime Video’s most popular shows, “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” acting opposite John Krasinski.

Pierce also made history in the most recent West End and Broadway revivals of Death of a Salesman, becoming the first Black actor to play the tortured traveling salesman Willy Loman. His performance, which called on the “depths” of his experience and training, earned him his first Tony nomination.  

“Sitting here nominated for a Tony and with Jack Ryan about to come on is a kismet moment of lot of good work coming together at the same time,” Pierce says. “I am blessed.”

For more on Wendell Pierce, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here. 

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan premieres Friday, June 30 on Prime Video.

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