Exclusive: Dominic West and Wendell Pierce reflect on The Wire 20th Anniversary
Very recently, Blackfilmandtv.com’s Wilson Morales spoke with Dominic West (Det. Jimmy McNulty) and Wendell Pierce (Det. William ‘Bunk’ Moreland) as their HBO groundbreaking series The Wire celebrated its 20th anniversary. Until this day, the series is seen as one of the best TV series ever despite the fact that not one actor ever got an Emmy nomination. Not that you need a nod or win to validate how good the series, cast and crew were, but acknowledgment goes a long way.
For Dominic West, who played Detective Jimmy McNulty, this was his breakout role. Although his acting credits prior to the show includes roles in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Rock Star with Mark Wahlberg, playing a detective with emotional highs and lows proved to be calling card. He appeared in 56 episodes and since then his career has blossomed on the big screen with memorable roles in the Oscar winning film Chicago, the blockbuster 300, The Forgotten with Julianne Moore, Punisher: War Zone, John Carter, and more recently Downton Abbey: A New Era. On the small screen, West received a Golden Globe nomination for his role as Noah Solloway in Showtime’s The Affair. He also played Jean Valjean in BBC’s Les Misérables. He’s set to play Prince Charles in The Crown Season 5 and 6.
As for Wendell Pierce, who played Detective Bunk Moreland, he was the first actor to be cast. That alone says a lot. Bunk was McNulty’s partner and sounding board. He wasn’t perfect, but his life wasn’t as colorful as Jimmy’s. He had your back from start to finish, and Pierce was always liked for his performance. Unlike West, Pierce was already established with plenty of scene stealing roles prior to coming on the show. With roles in Bill Duke’s A Rage In Harlem, Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, It Could Happen to You with Nicolas Cage, Waiting to Exhale, Get On The Bus, Sleepers, and numerous appearances on Law & Order episodes, Pierce is the guy you wanted on your project. Since leaving the show, he continued to flourish on the big and small screen with roles in Ray, Night Catches Us, Ava DuVernay’s Selma, HBO’s Treme, USA’s Suits, Showtime’s Ray Donovan, NBC’s Chicago P.D., and Prime Video’s Jack Ryan.
Blackfilmandtv.com’s Wilson Morales caught up with West and Pierce as they reflected on The Wire’s 20th Anniversary.