OK, so I'm not a serious black actor, but if I was, I would be puzzled as to why I busted my tail at drama rehearsals all through adolescence, then majored in theater in college, then worked countless Shakespeare festivals to hone my craft before I came to Hollywood to work in film and tv. I would be puzzled because when I arrive I realize that I'm at a disadvantage because I didn't take the shortcut of becoming a rap star. Ice Tea, Ice Cube, (heck even Vanilla Ice), Queen Latifa, Master P, Mos Def, Common, Xzibit, and of course Will Smith are given huge roles while countless serious black actors are overlooked. Of course Will Smith has become a great actor, but the blueprint needs to be set on fire.
I suppose this tradition can be overlooked by the noble thespian determined to persevere, but what's with HBO's the Wire giving a key role to a convicted murderer and known drug dealer? Where's the outrage? Now, Felicia Pearson, 31, who plays Snoop on HBO's The Wire has plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, a day before her trial was set to begin. She was distributing it to Baltimore and was actually caught by blabbing about it on a police wire tap. Judge Lawrence Fletcher-Hill accepted the plea, suspending a seven-year sentence with credit for time served and ordering three years of supervised probation with provisions for out-of-state travel for work.
Sorry serious actors, this act of compassion was done to allow her to continue her work as an actor, taking your roles because you forgot to be a rapper. As with most liberal acts of charity, there is often an overlooked victim. Here it is not only the serious black actor, but also the family of Okia Toomer who may be further tormented by their loved one's killer next time she appears on the screen in front of them in all her glory. I wonder what that is like, and I wonder if anyone associated with the Wire has ever thought about it.
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Jan '11
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
Is there an official list of professions that come with “Get Out Of Jail Free” cards? I imagine it's pretty short. The seven-year sentence was suspended for time served when? When she was serving time for murder? Gotta love the irony of getting caught on a wire, though.
Sep '10
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
You're conflating two issues and I think it just confuses things.
All the people you mention are compelling figures on screen. That's why they were hired. As a serious black actor you might gripe about having wasted all that time working your way up the ladder etc, but if you can portray a cold-blooded drug hit-gal better than Felicia Pearson, you'd probably be getting those roles too. No one who watched the wire will have any problem describing to you how Snoop came across: she was impossible to ignore.
The other issue I think is the real one. How do you justify hiring a convicted murderer to play a murderer on your TV show? I don't have any smart answers for that. I just don't think you did it justice by throwing it in with "why do they hire all these ENTERTAINERS as actors?"
Jun '10
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
You needn't limit this to serious black actors. Any serious actor or musician must cringe when criminals, rappers, or "gimmic" acting roles (like Brooke Shields on Broadway) bump out the thousands of truly talented performers. Get photographed exiting a limo sans-panites or be involved in a drive-by shooting and the roles will follow.
It is beyond belief that families must be tortured by the convicted killer being honored with stardom.
Jun '10
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
Bruce, do you seriously think that only Pearson is a strong enough actress to pull off the role???? The producers cast these thugs because they carry free publicity over the outrageousness of their being hired. Today's actors are largely cast for their ability to draw papparazzi or scandaous headlines.
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
She wasn't cast as Snoop to capitalize on her previous fame; she didn't have any, at least as 99% of the audience was concerned. I'm not even sure she can act. There was something about her affect that was so morally dead you got a shiver whenever she appeared, and that's what the casting agent must have seen. All she did in the opening scene of the final season was walk into a Home Depot and by a nail gun, and it gave you a horrible sense of foreboding.
Aug '10
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
You're not a serious black actor yet. Don't worry, Joe, you'll get there someday.
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
Forgive my conflation. I enjoy a lot of these entertainers as actors but I would still be confused by it. For 5 minutes the producers should have thought about what they could do for the victim's family.
Apr '11
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
Stephen King called her "perhaps the most terrifying female villain to ever appear in a television series." One of the stars of the show discovered her in a Baltimore bar and brought her to the set.
But the criticism is valid. The Wire cast a lot of people who had terrible backgrounds and caused the city a lot of damage.
Edited on Aug 10, 2011 at 12:12pmAug '10
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
The scene is incredible, the opening scene of Season Four, I hesitate to call it a performance, hit your mark and be yourself was more like it.
Now I understand why. When she was 14 years old when he shot and killed another 14 year old.
Both halves of that sentence are equally true.
I find that fact very perplexing. Simon, Pelicanos, Lehane, and Price all did their best to wrestle with the why's of it all.
The Wire was wrapped by the time she went back to crime, not sure how much they are to blame.
Aug '10
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
Joe Escalante: Forgive my conflation. I enjoy a lot of these entertainers as actors but I would still be confused by it. For 5 minutes the producers should have thought about what they could do for the victim's family. · Aug 10 at 12:10pm
For 5 minutes the producers should have thought about what they could do for the victim's family.
That is very fair. I guess they made their call and she had her moment. That does not make it any easier for the victim's family though.
Edited on Aug 10, 2011 at 12:24pmRe: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
Squish: thought it was the fifth season; thanks for the correction.
Sep '10
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
Joe Escalante: Forgive my conflation. I enjoy a lot of these entertainers as actors but I would still be confused by it. For 5 minutes the producers should have thought about what they could do for the victim's family. · Aug 10 at 12:10pm
True dat.
Jan '11
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
I've never heard of this show or the actress, but a quick google search of her very public drug career stretches far into the past. I was reading the same story, basically, with different dates. How is she not locked up?
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
I literally got chills thinking about that scene. Man does she have screen presence. And while the creators of The Wire have to be some of the most liberal out there, that show has quite a few compelling messages for conservatives -- and, if you include Hamsterdam, libertarians, too.
Dec '10
Re: "Wire" Actress Pleads guilty, Caught By Real Wire. As A Serious Black Actor, I'm Scratching My Head
She is making a bad decision in moving to California. We have the Three Strikes law here, and if she continues her pattern, she'll be racking up those strikes in next to no time.