Wood Harris
Encyclopedia
Sherwin David "Wood" Harris (born October 17, 1969) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale
on the HBO television drama The Wire
, and as high-school football player Julius Campbell
in the 2000 motion picture Remember the Titans
.
, Illinois, the son of Mattie, a housewife, and John Harris, a bus driver. He holds a Bachelors of Arts in Theater Arts from Northern Illinois University
(NIU) and a Master of Arts
from New York University
. He is the younger brother of actor Steve Harris
. While enrolled in NYU, Harris starred in his first major film role in the basketball drama Above the Rim
, starring opposite Tupac Shakur
, and appeared in many theatrical stage productions of various off-Broadway plays.
Harris was awarded the New York Film Festival
's 1st Run Best Actor Award for his portrayal of "Derrick 'D-Train' Trainer" in Morningside Prep, a thirty minute short movie directed by rising filmmaker
, Malcolm Lee
. He subsequently guest starred in a variety of television and film venues before portraying legendary rock guitarist, Jimi Hendrix
in Showtime's 2000 movie, Hendrix.
Later that year, Harris received his first NAACP Image Award
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture along with the Blockbuster Movie Award nomination for Favorite Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role as Julius "Big Ju" Campbell in Remember The Titans
. In 2002, he starred in the Dame Dash produced cult-classic film, Paid in Full
, based on the true story of three legendary Harlem drug kingpins.
He starred as Avon Barksdale
in the first three seasons of HBO
's original series The Wire
. He also produced his own debut album, Beautiful Wonderful, which was intended for release in 2005. Harris returned to his role as the ruthless drug kingpin Avon Barksdale
for one episode in the fifth and final season of The Wire.
In June 2008 director Martin Guigui revealed on his production blog that Harris was cast as Nate "Sweetwater" Clifton in Sweetwater
, the movie about the first black player in the NBA.
In 2009 Harris had a major role in the film Just Another Day, where he played a successful rapper named A-maze. The film is about the clash between a young up-and-coming rapper and an older one at the top of his game (Harris as A-maze).
Avon Barksdale
Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire portrayed by actor Wood Harris. Avon is the dominant drug dealer of Baltimore's West Side, running the Barksdale Organization...
on the HBO television drama The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
, and as high-school football player Julius Campbell
Julius Campbell
Julius Campbell, Jr. is an African American former American football player. He played for the 1971 T.C. Williams High School football team.Campbell was born in Alexandria, Virginia, the son of Hazel , and Julius Campbell, Sr. Campbell attended the Ferrum Junior College where he suffered a bad...
in the 2000 motion picture Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the...
.
Life and career
Harris was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois, the son of Mattie, a housewife, and John Harris, a bus driver. He holds a Bachelors of Arts in Theater Arts from Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
(NIU) and a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. He is the younger brother of actor Steve Harris
Steve Harris (actor)
Steve Harris is an American actor who has appeared in a number of films including; Quarantine, Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Bringing Down The House, The Rock, The Mod Squad, and Minority Report. He is most famous for his role as Eugene Young on the legal drama The Practice...
. While enrolled in NYU, Harris starred in his first major film role in the basketball drama Above the Rim
Above the Rim
Above the Rim is a 1994 drama directed by Jeff Pollack. The screenplay was written by Pollack and journalist-turned-screenwriter Barry Michael Cooper , from a story by Pollack and Benny Medina....
, starring opposite Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
, and appeared in many theatrical stage productions of various off-Broadway plays.
Harris was awarded the New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
's 1st Run Best Actor Award for his portrayal of "Derrick 'D-Train' Trainer" in Morningside Prep, a thirty minute short movie directed by rising filmmaker
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, Malcolm Lee
Malcolm Lee
Malcolm Lee is an American basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft...
. He subsequently guest starred in a variety of television and film venues before portraying legendary rock guitarist, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
in Showtime's 2000 movie, Hendrix.
Later that year, Harris received his first NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture along with the Blockbuster Movie Award nomination for Favorite Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role as Julius "Big Ju" Campbell in Remember The Titans
Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the...
. In 2002, he starred in the Dame Dash produced cult-classic film, Paid in Full
Paid in Full (film)
Paid in Full is a 2002 American criminal drama film that was produced by Roc-A-Fella Films and directed by Charles Stone III. It takes place in Harlem just before the Crack Epidemic that hit during the 1980s. The title of the film is taken from the 1987 album by Eric B. and Rakim."Paid in Full" is...
, based on the true story of three legendary Harlem drug kingpins.
He starred as Avon Barksdale
Avon Barksdale
Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire portrayed by actor Wood Harris. Avon is the dominant drug dealer of Baltimore's West Side, running the Barksdale Organization...
in the first three seasons of HBO
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
's original series The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
. He also produced his own debut album, Beautiful Wonderful, which was intended for release in 2005. Harris returned to his role as the ruthless drug kingpin Avon Barksdale
Avon Barksdale
Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire portrayed by actor Wood Harris. Avon is the dominant drug dealer of Baltimore's West Side, running the Barksdale Organization...
for one episode in the fifth and final season of The Wire.
In June 2008 director Martin Guigui revealed on his production blog that Harris was cast as Nate "Sweetwater" Clifton in Sweetwater
Sweetwater
Sweetwater is a synonym for freshwater. It may also refer to:- Places :* Sweet Water, Alabama* Sweetwater, Duval County, Florida* Sweetwater, Hardee County, Florida* Sweetwater, Miami-Dade County, Florida* Sweet Water, Illinois* Sweetwater, Idaho...
, the movie about the first black player in the NBA.
In 2009 Harris had a major role in the film Just Another Day, where he played a successful rapper named A-maze. The film is about the clash between a young up-and-coming rapper and an older one at the top of his game (Harris as A-maze).
Filmography
- Just Another DayJust Another Day (film)Just Another Day is a 2009 hip-hop drama film starring Wood Harris as A-Maze and Jamie Hector as Young Eastie. It premiered on BET on July, 2011.-Synopsis:...
(2009)- A-Maze - Sweetwater (2009)- Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton
- Dough Boys (film)Dough Boys (film)Dough Boys is a 2009 drama film written and produced by Preston A. Whitmore II and directed by Nicholas Harvell.-Synopsis:"If you are going to survive, you’ve got to get your hustle on.”...
(2009)- Julian France - Next Day AirNext Day AirNext Day Air is a 2009 action comedy film that was released by Summit Entertainment on May 8, 2009. The film starring Mike Epps and Donald Faison was produced on an estimated budget of $3 million...
(2009)- Guch - MVP (2009)- Tony Smalls
- Not Easily BrokenNot Easily BrokenNot Easily Broken is an 2009 drama film directed by Bill Duke. The film is written by Brian Bird based on T. D. Jakes' 2006 novel of the same name.-Plot:...
(2009)- Darnell Gooden - Jazz in the Diamond District (2008)- Gabriel Marx
- 4 Life (2007)- Dayvon
- The Heart SpecialistThe Heart SpecialistThe Heart Specialist is a romantic comedy film starring Wood Harris, Zoe Saldana, Brian J. White, and Mýa. Originally released under the title Ways of the Flesh, the film premiered at the 2006 Boston Film Festival...
(2006/2011)- Dr. Sidney Zachary - Southland TalesSouthland TalesSouthland Tales is a 2006 American-Franco-German science fiction dark comedy-drama film written and directed by Richard Kelly. The title refers to the Southland, a name used by locals to refer to Southern California and Greater Los Angeles...
(2006)- Dion Element - Dirty (film)Dirty (film)Dirty is a 2005 crime–drama film, directed by Chris Fisher. It stars Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Clifton Collins, Jr.. The film had a limited release in 2005.-Plot:...
(2005)- Brax - Paid in FullPaid in Full (film)Paid in Full is a 2002 American criminal drama film that was produced by Roc-A-Fella Films and directed by Charles Stone III. It takes place in Harlem just before the Crack Epidemic that hit during the 1980s. The title of the film is taken from the 1987 album by Eric B. and Rakim."Paid in Full" is...
(2002)- Ace - The WireThe WIREthe WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
(2002–08) (TV series)- Avon BarksdaleAvon BarksdaleAvon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire portrayed by actor Wood Harris. Avon is the dominant drug dealer of Baltimore's West Side, running the Barksdale Organization... - The Gold Cup (2000)- Clayton
- Remember the TitansRemember the TitansRemember the Titans is a 2000 American sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the...
(2000)- Julius CampbellJulius CampbellJulius Campbell, Jr. is an African American former American football player. He played for the 1971 T.C. Williams High School football team.Campbell was born in Alexandria, Virginia, the son of Hazel , and Julius Campbell, Sr. Campbell attended the Ferrum Junior College where he suffered a bad... - Hendrix (2000) (TV)- Jimi HendrixJimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
- Are You Cinderella? (short film) (2000)
- CommittedCommitted (2000 film)- Plot :The ever-optimistic Joline faces a challenge when her husband, flaky news photographer Carl , leaves her to find himself in Texas. Joline tracks Carl down and observes him, acquainting herself with his schedule and new friends - Plot :The ever-optimistic Joline (Heather Graham) faces a...
(2000)- Chicky - Rhapsody (2000) (TV)- Billy Dixon
- Train RideTrain RideTrain Ride is an award-winning, critically acclaimed feature thriller film written and directed by Rel Dowdell, which was released in 2005 by RuffNation Films via Sony Entertainment...
(2000)- Will - Spenser: Small VicesSpenser: Small VicesSmall Vices is a Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker.-Description:Ellis Alves is no angel. But his lawyer says he was framed for the murder of college student Melissa Henderson...and asks Spenser for help....
(1999) (TV)- Ellis Alves - The SiegeThe SiegeThe Siege is a 1998 American thriller film directed by Edward Zwick. The film is about a fictional situation in which terrorist cells have made several attacks on New York City...
(1998)- Officer Henderson - CelebrityCelebrity (film)Celebrity is a 1998 comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. The screenplay focuses on the divergent paths a couple takes following their divorce.-Plot:...
(1998)- Al Swayze - As Good as It GetsAs Good as It GetsAs Good as It Gets is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks and produced by Laura Ziskin. It stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, obsessive-compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt as a single mother with an asthmatic son, and Greg Kinnear as a gay artist. The screenplay was...
(1997)- Cafe 24 busboy - Above the RimAbove the RimAbove the Rim is a 1994 drama directed by Jeff Pollack. The screenplay was written by Pollack and journalist-turned-screenwriter Barry Michael Cooper , from a story by Pollack and Benny Medina....
(1994)- Motaw
Guest TV appearances
- Hawaii Five-0 (2010)- Russell Ellison
- Southland (TV series)Southland (TV series)Southland is an American drama series created by writer Ann Biderman and produced by Warner Bros. Television. It premiered on NBC on April 9, 2009...
(2010)- Trinney Day - HouseHouse (TV series)House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
(2008)- Bowman - Numb3rs (2007)- Murphy 'Pony' Fuñez
- The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
(2003)- Dwayne Grant/Marvin Gardens - New York UndercoverNew York UndercoverNew York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to...
(1998)- Shadow - CosbyCosbyCosby is a situation comedy television series broadcast on CBS from September 16, 1996 to April 28, 2000, loosely based on the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave. The program starred Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashād...
(1997)- Tony - OzOz (TV series)Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
(1997)- Officer Gordon Wood - NYPD BlueNYPD BlueNYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
(1996)- Hector