Beadie Russell
Encyclopedia
Beatrice "Beadie" Russell is a fictional character
on the HBO drama The Wire
, played by actress Amy Ryan
. She was featured prominently in the second season, after she discovered thirteen corpses in a container on the Baltimore docks.
.
intervened (for his own reasons), getting the case reassigned to the city Homicide Unit. Russell is subsequently detailed to Homicide to aid in the investigation. Initially she shows her lack of experience and street knowledge, but she develops some latent talent for police work while working alongside veteran homicide detectives Bunk Moreland
and Lester Freamon
.
Russell moves into Lieutenant Daniels'
detail after he agrees to investigate the bodies, where she soon fends off an awkward advance from Herc. Her home life makes it difficult for her to work the long hours necessary for the investigation, but she perseveres. She connects with detective Kima Greggs
while discussing the balance of a mother's responsibilities and the dangers inherent in their work, and enjoys flirting with McNulty both during work and while drinking after hours. McNulty visits Beadie's house one night, but he feels uncomfortable with the presence of family photos and children's toys, and leaves before a more intimate relationship develops.
Russell's familiarity with the people and organization of the port proves invaluable to the investigation. She taps Maui, an old boyfriend in Frank Sobotka's union, to find out more about illegal activity in the port. Although Maui does not directly give her any information, his suggestion that all the information the Police need is on the port's computer leads the detail to clone the port's container traffic computer system, allowing them to monitor all traffic on and off of ships.
When a suspicious Sobotka sends out a truck carrying normal goods to test the waters, Russell inadvertently tips the investigation's hand by having her colleagues in the port authority stop it. Frank later checks with other port officers who tell him she is still working with the detail, contrary to what she previously told him, and confirming his suspicions that he is being investigated. Despite these mis-steps, Russell gains the respect of the officers in the Sobotka detail. At the end of their investigation, when the focus shifts past Sobotka, Russell is entrusted with following Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos
to a key meeting with The Greek
. She comes through, delivering the location of the meeting, and enables the surveillance crew to get a photograph of Vondas and his lawyer.
Russell is able to convince Frank Sobotka to inform on The Greek once a strong case is built against him. Her emotional offer of a deal has Frank ready to give up everything he knows in order to help his family. However, Frank is murdered before he can make an official statement and the Sobotka case is forced to end prematurely. With several arrests made and the murder of the girls solved, Beadie returns to her work at the Port.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the HBO drama The Wire
The Wire (TV series)
The Wire is an American television drama series set and produced in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, the series was broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States...
, played by actress Amy Ryan
Amy Ryan
Amy Ryan is an American actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her performance in Gone Baby Gone and is also known for her roles in the HBO series The Wire, playing Port Authority Officer Beadie Russell; In Treatment, playing psychiatrist Adele Brousse; and The...
. She was featured prominently in the second season, after she discovered thirteen corpses in a container on the Baltimore docks.
Character storyline
Russell started working as a port authority officer because she needed the pay to support her two young children after her husband abandoned them. She found the job unchallenging and spent most of her time patrolling the docks and checking shipping manifests. She developed a friendly working relationship with many of the stevedores, including Frank SobotkaFrank Sobotka
Francis "Frank" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Chris Bauer.-Biography:Frank is a respected Polish-American secretary treasurer for the International Brotherhood of Stevedores at the Baltimore docks...
.
Season 2
In season two, Russell notices a broken customs seal on a container while on patrol and searches the container, finding a hidden compartment filled with thirteen dead bodies. She is briefly the primary investigator until Officer Jimmy McNultyJimmy McNulty
Detective James "Jimmy" McNulty is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by British actor Dominic West. McNulty is an Irish American detective in the Baltimore Police Department...
intervened (for his own reasons), getting the case reassigned to the city Homicide Unit. Russell is subsequently detailed to Homicide to aid in the investigation. Initially she shows her lack of experience and street knowledge, but she develops some latent talent for police work while working alongside veteran homicide detectives Bunk Moreland
Bunk Moreland
William "Bunk" Moreland is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Wendell Pierce. Bunk's character is based on a retired Baltimore City Police Detective named Rick Requer and nicknamed "the Bunk", an officer who joined the force in 1964 as a Western District patrolman who...
and Lester Freamon
Lester Freamon
Lester Freamon is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Clarke Peters. Freamon is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Major Crimes Unit...
.
Russell moves into Lieutenant Daniels'
Cedric Daniels
Cedric Daniels is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Lance Reddick. He is a well regarded officer in the department whose focus is on good police work and quality arrests...
detail after he agrees to investigate the bodies, where she soon fends off an awkward advance from Herc. Her home life makes it difficult for her to work the long hours necessary for the investigation, but she perseveres. She connects with detective Kima Greggs
Kima Greggs
Detective Shakima "Kima" Greggs is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actress Sonja Sohn. Greggs is a police detective in the Baltimore Police Department who is a dedicated officer and capable detective with some off-the-job issues. Openly lesbian, she has had problems...
while discussing the balance of a mother's responsibilities and the dangers inherent in their work, and enjoys flirting with McNulty both during work and while drinking after hours. McNulty visits Beadie's house one night, but he feels uncomfortable with the presence of family photos and children's toys, and leaves before a more intimate relationship develops.
Russell's familiarity with the people and organization of the port proves invaluable to the investigation. She taps Maui, an old boyfriend in Frank Sobotka's union, to find out more about illegal activity in the port. Although Maui does not directly give her any information, his suggestion that all the information the Police need is on the port's computer leads the detail to clone the port's container traffic computer system, allowing them to monitor all traffic on and off of ships.
When a suspicious Sobotka sends out a truck carrying normal goods to test the waters, Russell inadvertently tips the investigation's hand by having her colleagues in the port authority stop it. Frank later checks with other port officers who tell him she is still working with the detail, contrary to what she previously told him, and confirming his suspicions that he is being investigated. Despite these mis-steps, Russell gains the respect of the officers in the Sobotka detail. At the end of their investigation, when the focus shifts past Sobotka, Russell is entrusted with following Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos
Spiros Vondas
Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Paul Ben-Victor.-Biography:...
to a key meeting with The Greek
The Greek (The Wire)
The Greek is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Bill Raymond. The Greek is the head of an international criminal organization involved in narcotics and human trafficking....
. She comes through, delivering the location of the meeting, and enables the surveillance crew to get a photograph of Vondas and his lawyer.
Russell is able to convince Frank Sobotka to inform on The Greek once a strong case is built against him. Her emotional offer of a deal has Frank ready to give up everything he knows in order to help his family. However, Frank is murdered before he can make an official statement and the Sobotka case is forced to end prematurely. With several arrests made and the murder of the girls solved, Beadie returns to her work at the Port.