The Wire cast now: From wards success, football ownership and untimely deaths

HBO's The Wire was an iconic crime drama (Image: Unknown)

The Wire has been off our screens for 16 years but remains one the greatest TV series ever made. The crime drama focused on the drug-infested streets of West Baltimore, the corruption of City Hall and the police force trying to keep everyone in check.

The Wire was first released onto our screens in June 2002 and due to its phenomenal popularity, it ran on HBO for 60 episodes until 2008. The HBO series found a home in the UK on FX and later BBC Two.

Several prominent real-life Baltimore figures including reporters, governors, and radio presenters appeared in minor roles despite not being professional actors. The large cast included award-winning actors and others who have gone on to have hugely successful careers.

Some have gone on to win Oscars, others have stopped acting, one now partially owns a football club while others have sadly died. Here's what happened to The Wire cast after the hit series concluded.

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Actor Dominic West has appeared in many successful TV shows and films (Image: PA Archive/PA Images) Dominic West - Jimmy McNulty

Jimmy McNulty was the charming but troubled detective who often disobeyed his superiors to carry out investigations into the drug activity in the area.

The Wire was Dominic West's first major role and sparked a successful TV career with appearances on BBC's The Hour, Showtime's The Affair and played serial killer Fred West in ITV drama Appropriate Adult.

West also had a successful stint as Prince Charles in Netflix drama The Crown and also played Jean Valjean in the 2018 BBC miniseries Les Miserables and is currently playing the role of Dr Chris Cox in the Sky One series Brassic.

West has also appeared in a number of films including Chicago, 300, The Square, Tomb Raider and Downton Abbey: A New Era. Following The Wire, West earned a Golden Globe playing the love-cheat Noah Solloway in The Affair alongside fellow Brit Ruth Wilson.

King Charles III (left) and Idris Elba attending an event for The King's Trust to discuss youth opportunity, at St James's Palace in central London (Image: PA) Idris Elba - Russell "Stringer" Bell

Bell was drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second-in-command and assumed direct control of the Barksdale Organization during Avon's imprisonment. The pragmatic drug leader attempts to legitimise the Barksdale Organization and carries out money laundering and investments in housing development.

Idris Elba is arguably the series' most famous face thanks to his starring role as DCI John Luther in the BBC series, earned a Golden Globe nomination and a Screen Actors Guild award for his portrayal of a warlord in Beasts of No Nation and Nelson Mandela in the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

Idris portrayed Heimdall in various films across the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad, American Gangster, Prometheus and The Dark Tower.

In 2018, he was even named the sexiest man alive by People, joining previous winners including Mel Gibson, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and David Beckham.

window.topArticlesScript="https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/js/dist/article-top-articles20240911.min.js"Michael K. Williams - Omar Little

Omar Little was the iconic stick-up man who robbed drug dealers and hid his own shotgun under a duster jacket. Whenever he whistled The Farmer in the Dell, you know danger would follow.

Michael K. Williams was an unknown actor when he was cast as stick-up artist Omar Little despite making a string of film appearances. His iconic performances made him a fan favourite and even President Obama called him his favorite of the series.

Williams starred in 12 Years a Slave, the RoboCop reboot, Ghostbusters revival and later he played Chalky White on Boardwalk Empire. He went on to appear in HBO miniseries The Night Of and horror drama Lovecraft Country.

Williams died at the age of 54 following a drug overdose. Four men pleaded guilty to selling him the deadly mix of heroin and fentanyl.

Wendell Pierce, best known for his role as Detective Bunk Moreland, tweeted: "If you don't know, you better ask somebody. His name was Michael K. Williams."

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Bournemouth co-owner Michael B. Jordan on the pitch ahead of the Premier League match at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth. (Image: PA)

"He shared with me his secret fears then stepped out into his acting with 'true' courage, acting in the face of fear, not in the absence of it. It took me years to learn what Michael had in abundance."

Another cast member, Isiah Whitlock Jr, who played Senator Clay Davis, tweeted: "Shocked and saddened by the death of Michael K Williams. One of the nicest brothers on the planet with the biggest heart. An amazing actor and soul. May you RIP. God bless."

Michael B. Jordan - Wallace

Michael B. Jordan's breakout role saw him play a 16-year-old drug dealer for the Barksdale Organization and works in the low-rise projects crew known as "The Pit" with his friends and fellow dealers Bodie and Poot. Brandon Wright's death saw him attempt to leave the drug trade and work as a police informant but he was killed by his friends Bodie and Poot.

Jordan's role as Vince on the last two seasons on Friday Night Lights sparked his rise to stardom in the flick Chronicle, Red Tails and shooting victim Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station. He later appeared as the Human Torch in Fantastic Four, Apollo Creed in the Creed franchise, and Erik Killmonger in Black Panther.

Michael B. Jordan became a minority owner at Premier League side AFC Bournemouth in December 2022 and watched many games at the stadium. He recently designed two limited-edition kits, one red and one black.

Aiden Gillen - Tommy Carcetti

The ambitious Tommy Carcetti rose to power as the town's mayor and later governor.

Following the end of The Wire, the Irish actor returned to HBO as the cunning and untrustworthy Littlefinger on Game of Thrones, played Aberama Gold in Peaky Blinders and as Milo Sunter on Mayor of Kingstown.

He also sparked a film career in the last two films of the Maze Runner franchise, and Guy Ritchie's King Arthur movie, John Reid in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody and Those Who Wish Me Dead.

Screenwriter Josh Singer and screenwriter-director Tom McCarthy accept the Best Original Screenplay award for Spotlight (Image: Getty) Method Man - Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff

Cheese is the nephew of Proposition Joe and a crew chief in his Eastside drug crew. He died as retribution for his role in Joe's death.

The rapper and actor, who also appeared on Oz and starred in the stoner comedy How High, continued to record and release new albums over the years and appeared in Trainwreck, Keanu and HBO's The Deuce.

Amy Ryan - Beatrice "Beadie" Russell

Beadie Russell was a Port Authority cop and McNulty's girlfriend. Following the series, she was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Gone Baby Gone.

Many will know her as The Office as Holly Flax, a.k.a. Mrs. Michael Scott. She has appeared in a number of films including Birdman, Bridge of Spies, and Central Intelligence and later appeared in hit series Only Murders in the Building.

American actor and musician Lance Reddick (Image: Getty) Reg E. Cathey - Norman Wilson

Norman Wilson was Mayor Carcetti's campaign manager and trusted right-hand man.

Cathey eventually had a recurring role as Freddy on House of Cards, winning an Emmy award for his role. He also appeared in Grimm, Lights Out, Outcast and the Marvel series Luke Cage.

Cathey died in February 2018, at the age of 59 following a battle with lung cancer. His ashes were spread in New York City.

Tom McCarthy - Scott Templeton

Scott Templeton was a keen young journalist who was so eager to boost his journalism career that he made up stories.

The Wire actor Michael K. Williams died in 2021 (Image: Unknown)

McCarthy has instead focused on filmmaking than acting and he wrote and directed journalism film Spotlight. The film won Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

He was also an executive producer and director on Netflix's hit series 13 Reasons Why and directed the 2021 film Stillwater.

Lance Reddick - Cedric Daniels

Cedric Daniels was the stern but loyal police leader in the Baltimore Police Department who rose to becoming a police commissioner.

Following the series, the Oz actor guest starred in Lost and was a recurring character in Fringe. He also had a supporting role as Charon in the John Wick film series, Prime Video's Bosch, Corporate, and Netflix flick Resident Evil.

At just 60, Reddick died suddenly on March 17, 2023, at his home in Studio City, Los Angeles. A coroner believed his cause of death was one of coronary artery disease and atherosclerotic heart disease.

Seth Gilliam - Ellis Carver

Once an immature officer, Ellis Carver changed his ways and rose through the ranks of the Baltimore Police Department's Western District Drug Enforcement Unit.

The Oz actor later took on the role of Father Gabriel Stokes on The Walking Dead and a major recurring role on MTV's Teen Wolf.

The actor revealed he's even been sent death threats over his character's storyline in the zombie drama.

"Over the years, what's been surreal to me is sometimes people not being able to see fiction from reality, and assuming I was Father Gabriel and not Seth Gilliam," he told Digital Spy.

"When they question the choices the character made on the show, and started to send me death threats and stuff. That was surreal."

The Wire cast now: From wards success, football ownership and untimely deaths

The Wire cast now: From wards success, football ownership and untimely deaths

The Wire cast now: From wards success, football ownership and untimely deaths

The Wire cast now: From wards success, football ownership and untimely deaths

The Wire cast now: From wards success, football ownership and untimely deaths