Fans ofThe Wirecan rejoice at a partial return inWe Own This City. While not a direct sixth season that many have been praying for since the watershed show wrapped up, the brand-new series’ laser focus on Baltimore and the return ofDavid Simon,George Pelecanos, andEd Burnsmirrors something of a spiritual return to the sophisticated storytelling and dichotomy between corruption and the law. In a modern spin, the show is flash-forwarded to 2015, when the state had been shaken by the riots after the killing ofFreddie Graywhile in police custody.RELATED:From ‘The Wire’ to ‘Show Me a Hero’: Every David Simon Series RankedWith six episodes and all storylines pulled from the real-life corrupt Gun Trace Task Force,WOTCalso shares several actors who madeThe Wireauthentic and visceral. It purposefully connects both shows with many of the actors who played corner boys returning as police. Led byJon Bernthal,who ison a fantastic run of performances, and based on the book by crime reporterJustin Fenton, the show’s subject matter, cast, and similarities toone of the most lauded programs ever on televisionhave got critics and audiences buzzing at the prospect.
Jamie Hector
Playing one of the most iconic characters on the show,Jamie Hector’syoung kingpin Marlo Stanfield is as calculated as he is ruthless. As the successor to the Barksdale cartel, the drug boss takes the forefront as the primary target for Seasons 4 and 5, redirecting the show’s focus on Baltimore’s youth.
Notably, he’s returned to the David Simon universe as Sean M. Suiter, a BPD homicide detective working with the Gun Trace Task Force and whose ethics will be put to the test by their corruption. AfterThe Wire, Hector has founded an outreach theatre program and maintained a lucrative acting career in TV and film, even playingTupac’sstepfather inAll Eyez On Me.
Domenick Lombardozzi
A favorite, Herc (Domenick Lombardozzi), represents one-half of a police partnership with Carver (Seth Gilliam) that contains an essential arc for the show. Given some of the show’s funniest dialogue, he represents cops who climb the ladder with barely any skills through political maneuvers.
He’s joinedWOTCin a top-ranking as the president of the Fraternal Order of Police which connects police unions to congress. Lombardozzi would follow his performance onThe Wireby working alongside serious heavy-hitting directors likeMartin Scorsese,Steven Spielberg, andMichael Mann.
Darrell Britt-Gibson
Though his role as an enforcer in the Stanfield outfit was small, like every character in the show, all the pieces matter,Darrell Britt-Gibson’sO-Dog represented the shift in power on Baltimore’s streets, working with Bodie and Cutty before migrating to Snoop and Chris.
He’s given a much more significant role inWOTCas Jemell Rayam, the epitome of a corrupt cop who robs stash houses before his task force can raid them. A talented actor in his own right, Darrell Britt-Gibson continued his career by appearing in various Academy Award-nominated films, includingThree Billboards…,Judas and the Black Messiah, and20th Century Women,securing a minor role in the first season ofBarry.
Tray Chaney
A corner boy fixture since the show’s pilot, Malik “Poot” Carr was played byTray Chaneywith authenticity. A Maryland native and former dancer, Poot is cocky, flirty, and holds a lot of heart, making it to the end of the fifth season, ultimately leaving the game to work at a Foot Locker.
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His new role as Gordon Hawk, whose membership in the Harford County Narcotics Task Force seems to put him in direct opposition with the GTTF as an ethical police officer who is in shock by their unabashed void of ethics, couldn’t be more different than Poot. Since his tenure inThe Wire, Chaney launched a career in music and produced a film.
Jermaine Crawford
A homeless teenager who succumbs to addiction by the show’s end,Jermaine Crawford’sDukie is a tragic figure. It gives insight into how characters like Bubbles (Andre Royo) come to be.
Playing a very different character this time around, he joinsWOTCas Jaquan Dixon, a Baltimore patrolman. He upholds the standards of doing his job properly, and is held back by the crumbling standards in the aftermath of the Freddie Gray riots. Crawford continued to act on stage between the two series where he had started his career at the age of three.
Michael Salconi
Michael Salconi’sSantangelo has played multiple positions in the Baltimore police department, from homicide detective to beat cop: he also inspired McNulty to make the same transition. Anything to get away from Rawls (John Doman).
Not much has been reported about Salconi’s involvement inWOTCexcept that he is listed as a guest star. One can assume that, given his prior roles, he will be working in a bureaucratic position of power. Salconi played a cardinal inVeepand has a career as a Baltimore hairdresser.
Anwan Glover.
The proverbial and wise assassin for the Barksdales, Slim Charles (Anwan Glover), became a favorite inThe Wirebased on pure intimidation, let alone his intelligence as one of Stringer and Avon’s most valued enforcers, and eventually co-chair of the New Day Co-Op.
Glover is also a rapper and frontman for the BackYard band and secured roles in other David Simon productions such asTremeandThe Deuce. His part inWOTCis small as a civilian father who is stopped for “driving while black” by Hersl, but any appearance from the classicWireactor is welcomed.
Chris Clanton
A prominent member of the Barksdales, Savino (Chris Clanton), had the longest break between episodes, going away in Season 1 after the assassination of Orlando before falling victim to Omar’s gun during his revenge path in “Took.”
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Clanton is back playing Jaquan Dixon, partner of the terrifying Daniel Hersl and his more conscientious counterpart. He’s had quite the journey in between; in addition to launching his own boutique film company, Clanton went to jail for drug charges, was released only to be stabbed two years later at a nightclub, and shot in the ear in May of last year.
Delaney Williams
A fixture of the Homicide Department, Jay Landsman (Delaney Williams) provided comic relief forThe Wirein a mainly supervisory role, rarely participating in investigations. He’s basically a politician who delegates terrible jobs, moderates the city clearance rate, and keeps the interests of his superiors in priority over good police work.
Williams plays his new role of new police commissioner Kevin Davis with a similar daily operation candor, though notably less jolly and revealing some pretty stunning weight loss. FollowingThe Wire, Williams continued appearances in procedural dramas such asLaw and Order: SVU,Blue Bloods, andCold Case.
Nathan Corbett
Nathan Corbettwas just 15 when he began playing the carjacking middle schooler Donut inThe Wire’slandmark, acclaimed fourth season. Known for being able to break into any vehicle and even able to take it on joyrides despite his tiny stature, he’s now joined on as Tariq Touré.
They’re big shoes to fill as Touré is a respected real-life award-winning author who is a local icon and whose activism helps the civil rights department better understand the problems with the BPD.
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