Photo:Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
With a starring role inTom Clancy’s Jack Ryanand a recent Tony nomination for his riveting turn inDeath of a Salesmanon Broadway,Wendell Pierceis riding a career high.
But for Pierce, 59, rewarding roles didn’t always come easily. The actor, who grew up in the neighborhood of Ponchartrain Park in New Orleans, attended The Juilliard School, a “tough” training ground where Pierce felt he wasn’t utilized “well enough” in stage productions.
The exclusive conservatory ultimately readied him for the harsh realities of Hollywood.“That prepared me for the business, because I got out of school, and I realized, ‘Oh, I’m going to have this challenge throughout my career that people are going to pigeonhole me,’” he tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “People are going to have stereotypes about what I can and cannot do."
He wasn’t wrong. After years of auditioning for and appearing in several sitcom pilots, Pierce swore off comedies and focused on dramas. Being more selective paid off for the versatile actor.
“The next thing I got wasThe Wire,” he muses.
Alamy
As Detective William “Bunk” Moreland, Pierce invited viewers into the dark, gritty world of the Baltimore Police Department’s Homicide Unit onThe Wire. It’s a character that, even 15 years later, continues to be a career-defining role for him, with people still approaching him everyday, sometimes quoting their favorite expletive-filled lines of Bunk’s back to him.
“It’s really great to be reminded that people likeThe Wire,” he says. “I wish an opportunity likeThe Wirefor every actor.”
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Afterwards, he starred as the trombonist Antoine Baptiste inTremeand landed a recurring role inSuitsasMeghan Markle’sonscreen dad.
Wendell Pierce and John Krasinski in ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’.Jonny Cournoyer/Prime Video
Jonny Cournoyer/Prime Video
Pierce also made history in the most recent West End and Broadway revivals ofDeath of a Salesman,becoming the first Black actor to play the tortured traveling salesman Willy Loman. His performance, which called on the “depths” of his experience and training, earned him his first Tony nomination.
“Sitting here nominated for a Tony and withJack Ryanabout to come on is a kismet moment of lot of good work coming together at the same time,” Pierce says. “I am blessed.”
For more on Wendell Pierce, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribehere.
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryanpremieres Friday, June 30 on Prime Video.
source: people.com
