Wood Harris- Biography
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Wood Harris is a 49-year-old American actor who was born on October 17, 1969, in Chicago, Illinois, under the sign of Libra. On the blockbuster HBO crime thriller “The Wire,” he is best recognized for his portrayal of a drug dealer and crime boss Avon Barksdale. Fans will also recognize him as Ace (another drug dealer) in the critically acclaimed 2002 crime thriller film “Paid in Full.” While he’s largely played basketball players, boxers, and drug traffickers, Harris is regarded as one of the most versatile performers of his time, owing to his situational awareness. He is the brother of Steve Harris, another actor.
What is the Net Worth of Wood Harris? Salary, Earnings
According to multiple trustworthy sources, Wood Harris has a net worth of roughly $3 million as of 2022, which he has amassed as a result of his unwavering desire to improve as an actor, which has resulted in him participating in five or more films or TV episodes each year. Given that he is still going strong, we may see this figure climb in the near future.
Wood Harris- Birth, Age, Ethnicity, Siblings, Education
Wood was up in an African-American family; his father, John, was a bus driver, and his mother, Mattie, was a seamstress. Surprisingly, both of them were part-time performers who had little success following their goals of becoming movie stars. However, the fact that they did not attain their objectives was just the example and inspiration that young Wood required in his early life.
After graduating from high school in 1988, he took a gap year to travel throughout the country before enrolling in Northern Illinois University (NIU), where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts. Later in his career, he enrolled in New York University, where he earned a Master of Arts degree. During his studies, he began starring in a variety of independent plays and was also cast in the role that catapulted him to stardom.
Wood Harris- Relationship, Married Life
Wood Harris married Rebecca in 2001; they met at a party hosted by a mutual acquaintance and hit it off right away. Despite Wood’s rigorous work schedule, they have managed to keep their marriage functioning, and there isn’t even a speck of controversy surrounding them. Wood, as previously said, has an elder brother, Steve Harris, who is also an actor and has acted in a number of crime dramas. He was a star football player in high school who aspired to play in the National Football League (NFL) but was unable to do so due to a serious ankle injury.
Wood Harris- Professional Career
Harris began acting while still a student at NIU. His primary interest was in theater productions of Shakespeare and other well-known authors. However, in 1994, he co-starred with Tupac Shakur in the cult basketball drama “Above the Rim,” in which he played Motaw, the story of two brothers, Shep (Leon) and Birdie (Tupac). Shep, a former basketball player who now works as a security guard, tries to keep a young man away from Birdie, a con artist, and drug dealer. Wood, who played Motaw, blended in nicely with the main characters and was praised for his adaptability, especially given that this was his first acting role. This outstanding performance foreshadowed what was to come.
NYPD Blue, Oz, Cosby, and Others from 1996 to 2001
Wood was keen to maintain his upward trajectory after breaking out with his part in “Above the Rim.” He took a break from performing to complete his thesis and receive his Bachelor of Arts, therefore his next acting role was in 1996. In the grand scheme of his career, Hector’s role on “NYPD Blue” may have been tiny, but it ultimately defined him as an actor. He rose to prominence as one of the best criminal drama performers of all time, capable of playing any drug lord or police officer with ease. In 1997, he continued in the same vein, playing Officer Gordon Wood in “Oz.”
The same year, he decided to try something new, and he surprised comedy lovers by playing Tony in “Cosby.” Following a modest appearance in “As Good as It Gets,” he went on to appear in “New York Undercover” and films such as “Celebrity”, “The Siege”, “Committed”, and others. 2000 was a particularly active year for him, with seven acting credits in a few months, the most prominent of which was “Hendrix” and “Remember the Titans.” However, it wasn’t until 2002 that Harris became a household name.
The Wire and Paid In Full: A True Star
Because of his already strong resume, Wood was cast in the hit HBO series “The Wire” in 2002 as legendary drug kingpin Avon Barksdale. Over the course of six years, he appeared in 38 episodes, and critics frequently commended him for his uncanny approach to such a tough job. This role helped him establish himself as a legend in the crime drama genre. The same year, he starred in “Paid in Full,” a dramatic crime film about a young African-American who was tired of living in poverty and chose to construct one of the largest drug empires on the East Coast. The film, directed by Charles Stone III, is regarded as a cult classic by both fans and critics. Harris’s development was aided by these two jobs.
A Never-Ending Parade of Good Roles
After 2002, Wood continued to be cast in significant roles, which he performed admirably. In the mid-2000s, his most prominent appearances were on “Dirty”, “Joy Road”, “The Twilight Zone”, and even “House”. He was highly hailed for his performance in “Just Another Day” and “Dough Boys,” both of which are regarded as great films. Wood’s acting is remarkable in that he not only has natural talent and an amazing work ethic – he also has “a nose” for picking the correct movie. It is unusual for a film starring Harris to be a flop. While he doesn’t have many honors to his name, he is nevertheless one of the most consistent actors of the previous 20 years, despite having many parts every year.
The decade of 2010
Harris began the decade with a bang, appearing in three episodes of “Southland,” which is (you guessed it) a TV drama about the war between gangsters and police in Los Angeles. Following that, he appeared in “Hawaii Five-0” and “Justified” for a few episodes. He had an especially successful year in 2015, as he appeared in two smash smashes, “Creed” and “Ant-Man.” He was so brilliant in “Creed” that Ryan Coogler insisted on him appearing in “Creed II” as Tony Burton, also known as Little Duke.
In the late 2010s, he also appeared in “9/11” and “Blade Runner 2049,” and his most recent work is with “Empire,” where he played Damon Cross for ten episodes. Currently, he is working on various films and television projects, including “Sweetwater,” which tells the tale of Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, the first African-American to play in the North American National Basketball Association (NBA).
A Possible Foray Into Music
Wood created his own rap album, “Beautiful Wonderful,” in 2005, but due to difficulties in finding a suitable record label, the album was never released. Harris is a big hip-hop aficionado, so we might see anything from him in the near future.
Body Measurements: Height, Weight, Hair color
Wood Harris is 6ft 2in (188cms) tall, which undoubtedly helps him when he plays basketball, his favorite sport. His further dimensions are unknown.
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