• Wood Harris is an American actor born in 1969 in Chicago, Illinois
• He is best known for his role of Avon Barksdale on "The Wire" and Ace in "Paid in Full"
• He attended Northern Illinois University and later New York University, earning a Bachelor and Master of Arts in Theater Arts
• He is 6ft 2in (188cms) tall, and has an estimated net worth of $3 million
• He is married to Rebecca, and has an older brother, Steve Harris, who is also an actor



Known for movies

Short Info

Net Worth$2 Million
Date Of BirthOctober 17, 1969
SpouseRebekah Harris
FactBrother of Steve Harris.


Who is Wood Harris?

Born on 17 October 1969, in Chicago, Illinois, under the air sign of Libra, Sherwin David “Wood” Harris is a 49-year-old American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of drug dealer and crime boss Avon Barksdale on the hit HBO crime show “The Wire”. Fans also know him for his role of Ace (another drug dealer) in the critically acclaimed 2002 crime drama film “Paid in Full”. While he’s mostly portrayed basketball players, boxers and drug dealers, Harris is considered to be one of the most versatile actors of his generation, mostly because of his situational awareness. He is the brother of Steve Harris, who is also an actor.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsPQDf5DiUr/

Early Life and Education: Growing Up in Chicago

Wood was born into an African-American family – his father John was a bus driver, while his mother Mattie was a seamstress. Interestingly, both of them were part-time actors, but didn’t have much success in pursuing their dreams of being movie stars. However, the notion that they didn’t achieve their goals was exactly the example and the motivation young Wood needed in his early life. After matriculating from high school in 1988, he took a gap year to travel around the country, then enrolled at Northern Illinois University (NIU), graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts. Later in his career, he enrolled at New York University, from which he holds a Master of Arts. While studying, he started appearing in a number of independent plays, and was also cast in the role which propelled him to stardom.

Career Beginnings: Various Stage Productions and Above The Rim

While still enrolled at NIU, Harris was already into acting. His main focus was on stage productions of plays by Shakespeare and other famous playwrights. However, in 1994 he was cast as Motaw in the cult basketball drama “Above the Rim”, alongside Tupac Shakur, which tells the story of two brothers, Shep (Leon) and Birdie (Tupac). Shep, a former basketball star who now works as a security guard, tries to keep a young man away from the influence of Birdie, who is a con-artist and drug dealer. As Motaw, Wood meshed well with the main characters, and was praised for his versatility, especially because this was his first acting credit. This stellar performance was a sign of things to come.

Wood Harris

1996 – 2001: NYPD Blue, Oz, Cosby and More

After breaking out with his role in “Above the Rim”, Wood was determined to continue trending upwards. He took some time off from acting to finish his thesis and earn his Bachelor of Arts, so his next acting credit came in 1996. The role of Hector on “NYPD Blue” might have been an insignificant one in the grand scheme of his career, but it ultimately defined him as an actor. He became known as one of the best crime drama actors of all time, able to flawlessly assume the role of any drug kingpin or police officer. In 1997 he continued in the same direction, and appeared as Officer Gordon Wood in “Oz”. The same year, he decided to experiment a bit, so he amazed comedy fans by playing Tony in “Cosby”. After a minor role in “As Good as It Gets”, he assumed roles in “New York Undercover” and in movies such as “Celebrity”, “The Siege”, “Committed” and others. 2000 was a particularly hectic year from him, as he had seven acting credits in a span of just a few months, the most notable of which were “Hendrix” and “Remember the Titans”. However, 2002 was the year when Harris became a true household name.

A True Star: The Wire and Paid In Full

Because of his already impressive resume, in 2002 Wood was cast as the notorious drug kingpin Avon Barksdale in the hit HBO series “The Wire”. He appeared in a total of 38 episodes over the course of six years, and critics regularly praised him for his uncanny way of approaching such a difficult role. This particular part allowed him to become one of the greats in the crime drama genre. The same year, he appeared in “Paid in Full”, a dramatic crime movie about a young African-American who was fed up with living in poverty, and subsequently decided to build one of the biggest drug empires the East Coast has ever seen. Directed by Charles Stone III, the film is seen as a cult classic by both fans and critics alike. These two roles allowed Harris to blossom even further.

#Repost @vh1 with @repostapp・・・Barry Fouray knows how to talk fast, act faster, and thinks later. Don’t miss Wood Harris on #TheBreaks series MON FEB 20 at 9/8c.

Posted by Wood Harris on Saturday, February 18, 2017

A Never-Ending Streak of Quality Roles

After 2002, Wood continued getting important roles and he played them masterfully. His most notable appearances in the mid-2000s include “Dirty”, “Joy Road”, “The Twilight Zone” and even an appearance on “House”. He was also praised for his quality acting in “Just Another Day” and “Dough Boys”, both of which are deemed to be exceptional titles. An interesting thing about Wood’s acting is that he doesn’t only have raw talent and an admirable work ethic – he also has “a nose” for picking the right movie. Rarely does a movie with Harris in it turn out to be a flop. While he doesn’t have too many awards to his name, he is still one of the most consistent actors of the last 20 years, considering the fact that he has multiple roles on a yearly basis.

The 2010s

Harris started the 2010s with a bang, appearing in three episodes of “Southland”, which is (you’ve guessed it), a TV show that centers around the battle between criminals and the police in the city of Los Angeles. Afterwards, he was in “Hawaii Five-0”, and “Justified” for a few episodes as well. 2015 was  aparticularly big year for him, as he was in two smash hits – “Creed” and “Ant-Man”. He was so good in “Creed” that Ryan Coogler insisted that he appeared in “Creed II”, also as Tony Burton, known as Little Duke. The late 2010s also saw him appear in “9/11” and “Blade Runner 2049”, and his most recent credit is with “Empire”, in which he played the role of Damon Cross for 10 episodes. Currently, he has several movies and shows in post-production, including “Sweetwater”, the  story of Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, the first African-American to play in the North American National Basketball Association (NBA).

A Possible Venture into Music?

In 2005, Wood produced his own rap album named “Beautiful Wonderful”, but problems with finding the right record label resulted in the album never being released. Harris is an avid hip-hop fan, so we might see him release something to the public in the near future.

Personal Life: Is Wood Harris Married? Who is His Wife?

Wood Harris married Rebecca in 2001; they met at a party organized by a mutual friend, and clicked immediately. Despite Wood’s hectic work rate, they have managed to keep their marriage functional, and there isn’t even the slightest hint of controversy surrounding them. Wood, as mentioned, has an older brother, Steve Harris, who is also an actor, who has also appeared in several crime dramas. While in high school, he was a star football player who wanted to go into the National Football League (NFL), but was unable to fulfill his dreams because of a nasty ankle injury.

Body Measurements: How Tall is Wood Harris?

Wood Harris is 6ft 2in (188cms) tall, which surely helps him whenever he plays his favorite sport, basketball.. His other measurements are unknown.

How Rich is Wood Harris?

According to several credible sources, Wood Harris has a net worth of approximately $3 million, as of mid-2019, accumulated due to his incessant will to improve as an actor, which resulted in him appearing in five or more films or TV shows on a yearly basis. Given the fact that he is still going strongly, we might see this number rise in the near future.

General Info

Full NameWood Harris
Net Worth$2 Million
Date Of BirthOctober 17, 1969
Height1.91 m
ProfessionActor
EducationNew York University, Northern Illinois University
NationalityAmerican

Family

SpouseRebekah Harris
ParentsMattie Harris, John Harris
SiblingsSteve Harris

Accomplishments

NominationsNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
MoviesAnt-Man, Paid in Full, Remember the Titans, Dredd, Creed, Next Day Air, Above the Rim, The Babymakers, Not Easily Broken, The Heart Specialist, Just Another Day, Southland Tales, The Watsons Go To Birmingham, As Good as It Gets, Jazz in the Diamond District, Dough Boys, Hendrix, Train Ride, Dirty, 4...
TV ShowsThe Wire, Black Poker Stars Invitational

Social profile links

Quotes

#Quote
1My first artistic love was drawing and painting.
2We had a very normal, sort of ghetto, urban upbringing. My father was a bus driver and my mother was a seamstress and a substitute schoolteacher, off and on. So, that all adds up to no money.
3If you overdo something, you end up typecast. You always have to expand.
4With film, you can feel confident that you're doing good work, but never know what it's going to look like.

Facts

#Fact
1Brother of Steve Harris.
2Is interested in going into the music industry and is making efforts towards it. [December 2006]

Pictures

Movies

Actor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Breaks2017TV Series filmingBarry Fouray
Nine Eleven2017completedMichael
The New Edition Story2017TV Movie completedBrooke Payne
The New Edition Story2017TV Series post-productionBrooke Payne
Once Upon a Time in Venice2016post-productionPrince
The Breaks2016TV MovieBarry Fouray
Creed2015Tony 'Little Duke' Burton
Ant-Man2015Gale
Ransum Games2014Henchman #1
Justified2014TV SeriesJay
The Watsons Go to Birmingham2013TV MovieDaniel
Dredd2012Kay
The Babymakers2012Darrell
Hawaii Five-02010TV SeriesRussell Ellison
Southland2010TV SeriesTrinney Day
Just Another Day2009/IVA-Maze
Next Day Air2009Guch
Played by Fame2009TV Series
Dough Boys2009Julian France
Not Easily Broken2009Darnell Gooden
House M.D.2008TV SeriesBowman
The Wire2002-2008TV SeriesAvon Barksdale
Jazz in the Diamond District2008Gabriel Marx
4 Life2007VideoDayvon
Numb3rs2007TV SeriesMurphy 'Pony' Fuñez
The Heart Specialist2006Dr. Sidney Zachary
Southland Tales2006Dion Element
Dirty2005Brax
Joy Road2004Tony Smalls
The Twilight Zone2003TV SeriesMarvin Gardens / Dwayne Grant
Paid in Full2002Ace
Rhapsody2000TV MovieBilly Dixon
Remember the Titans2000Julius Campbell
Hendrix2000TV MovieJimi Hendrix
Are You Cinderella?2000Short
Committed2000/IChicky
The Gold Cup2000Clayton
Train Ride2000Will
Spenser: Small Vices1999TV MovieEllis Alves
The Siege1998Officer Henderson
Celebrity1998Al Swayze
New York Undercover1998TV SeriesShadow
As Good as It Gets1997Cafe 24 Busboy
Cosby1997TV SeriesTony
Oz1997TV SeriesOfficer Gordon Wood
NYPD Blue1996TV SeriesHector
Above the Rim1994Motaw (as Sherwin David Harris)

Producer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Just Another Day2009/IVco-producer
Next Day Air2009producer
Chains2009/IShort executive producer

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
VH1 Big in 2015 with Entertainment Weekly2015TV SpecialHimself
The Arsenio Hall Show2014TV SeriesHimself - Guest
The Wendy Williams Show2012TV SeriesHimself
Big Morning Buzz Live2012TV SeriesHimself - Guest
A Hip Hop Hustle: The Making of 'Just Another Day'2010Video documentary shortHimself
Pressure2009/IHimself (rumored)
Up Close with Carrie Keagan2009TV SeriesHimself
Black Poker Stars Invitational2008TV SeriesPlayer
The Wendy Williams Experience2006TV SeriesHimself
Kanye West: College Dropout - Video Anthology2005Video documentaryHimself (segment "Through the Wire")
My Coolest Years2004TV Mini-Series documentaryHimself - 'B-Boys & B-Girls'
Def Poetry2002TV Series documentaryHimself
2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards2000TV Special documentaryHimself

Archive Footage

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Wire2006TV SeriesAvon Barksdale

Awards

Nominated Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
2014Black ReelBlack Reel AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Mini-SeriesThe Watsons Go to Birmingham (2013)
2001Blockbuster Entertainment AwardBlockbuster Entertainment AwardsFavorite Supporting Actor - DramaRemember the Titans (2000)
2001Image AwardImage AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion PictureRemember the Titans (2000)

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
Author

Benjy is currently a reporter for BiographyPedia based in Adelaide, Australia. Prior to joining BiographyPedia in July 2019, he was a Bizarre TV reporter and theatre critic at TheSun. Benjy has also written for DailyMail and TMZ. Benjy studied journalism at Goldsmiths University of London, graduating in 2009. You can contact him at [email protected].

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