Wood Harris, Shayna McHayle, and young Broadway actor Chase Infiniti were also added to the cast, which already included Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Regina Hall. Licorice Pizza co-producers Sara Murphy and Adam Somner are again co-producing here along with Thomas, who also wrote the script.
Taylor’s other recent films include Hulu’s White Men Can’t Jump remake with Jack Harlow and the crticially acclaimed A Thousand And One, which holds a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 85% audience score. It looks like she’s certainly receiving the recognition in acting that she felt she wasn’t getting in music, which is both heartening (yay for recognition) and disappointing (she should have been praised before this).
Meanwhile, Alana and her sisters spent most of last year enjoying their leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. Unfortunately, Haim has also had to face an unfair share of musical criticism, repeatedly refuting misogynistic claims that they don’t play their instruments live. Fortunately, no one can say Alana isn’t acting for herself when she appears in the film, which is already in production.
Wood Harris, a name that resonates with many film and TV enthusiasts, has carved a niche for himself in the entertainment industry. As of 2023, Wood Harris’s net worth stands at an impressive $2 million, as reported by Celebrity Net Worth. But how did he amass this fortune? Let’s delve deeper into the life and career of this talented actor.
Born Sherwin David Harris on October 17, 1969, in Chicago, Wood Harris grew up alongside his older brother, actor Steve Harris. Their parents, John Harris, a bus driver, and Mattie Harris, a seamstress, raised them in Illinois. Wood’s early life was rooted in education and sports. He was an active member of the basketball team at St. Joseph High School in Chicago. Later, he pursued a BA in Theatre Arts from Northern Illinois University and furthered his studies with a Master of Arts from New York University. Interestingly, during this period, he also expressed a keen interest in the music industry.
Rise To Stardom
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 14: Actor Wood Harris attends AOL Build Presents Mack Wild and Wood Harris, “The Breaks” at AOL Studios In New York on December 14, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Desiree Navarro/WireImage)
Wood Harris’s journey to fame began with a significant role alongside Tupac Shakur and Duane Martin in the 1994 basketball movie Above The Rim. His talent didn’t go unnoticed, and he soon found himself gracing both the big and small screens. The late nineties saw him in blockbusters like As Good As It Gets (1998) and Woody Allen’s comedy film Celebrity (1998). His portrayal in the film Morning Prep even earned him the New York Film Festival’s 1st Run Best Actor Award.
However, it was his role as Avon Barksdale in HBO’s drama The Wire that truly catapulted him to fame. This role, which spanned three seasons with a guest appearance in the fifth, garnered him immense critical acclaim.
NEWARK, NJ – AUGUST 05: Wood Harris speaks onstage during Black Girls Rock! 2017 at New Jersey Performing Arts Center on August 5, 2017 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic)
Harris’s versatility is evident in the range of roles he has undertaken. From playing the legendary guitarist in the film Hendrix to starring in Remember The Titans, his performances have always been noteworthy. His role in The Wire was just the beginning. He went on to produce his album Beautiful Wonderful in 2005 and took on roles in films like Sweetwater, Just Another Day, and the ESPN 30 for 30 film Benji.
His association with the Marvel universe began with his role as Gale in Ant-Man. Fans also loved his portrayal of Tony “Little Duke” Evers in the Rocky franchise’s new installment, Creed, and its two sequels, Creed II and Creed III.
EMPIRE: Wood Harris and Taraji P. Henson in the “You Broke Love” episode of EMPIRE airing Tuesday, Oct. 8 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (Photo by FOX via Getty Images)
Apart from movies, Harris has made significant contributions to television. He played Damon Cross in Empire from 2018-2020 and appeared in shows like Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes On Television, The New Addition Story, The Watsons Go To Birmingham, and Winning Time.
Away from the limelight, Harris leads a contented life with his wife, Rebekah Harris, whom he married in 2002. The couple is blessed with two children, and they split their time between New York and California.
Conclusion
Wood Harris’s net worth of $2 million in 2023 is a testament to his dedication, talent, and the diverse roles he has embraced over the years. From his early days in Chicago to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Harris’s journey is both inspiring and commendable.
As The Wire celebrates its 21st anniversary since its premiere in June 2002, several cast members from the acclaimed show have gone on to achieve notable success in their careers. SOHH takes a look at where some of the other beloved cast members of The Wire are now. Julito McCollum McCollom, who portrayed Namond Price […]
2Pac dabbled in acting alongside his notable rap career. In fact, several interviews point to the idea that 2Pac wanted to pursue acting over music. Furthermore, director Allen Hughes has gone on record saying he believes that 2Pac would have been as big as Denzel Washington if he had not been killed in 1996.
2Pac’s third film was Above The Rim, a 1994 sports drama directed by Jeff Pollack. The film follows Duane Martin as Kyle-Lee Wilson, a talented high school basketball prospect who finds himself trapped between prestige and his community. The central conflict of the film is whether Wilson will participate in a streeball tournament for his beloved coach or Birdie, the local drug dealer played by 2Pac. However, another notable character is Wood Harris’ Motaw, Biride’s fiercely loyal and utterly ruthless lieutenant. Above The Rim was Harris’ film debut and he found himself learning a few valuable lessons from 2Pac.
Harris Learned About An Actor’s Power From 2Pac
Wood Harris shared the lessons that 2Pac gave him during a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. “What I gained from 2Pac as a professional was I realized the power of the actor from 2Pac,” he began. “There’s a scene in the film where – it’s not even a scene, it’s a clip where we just drive up, get out of the car, enter the park. That’s the whole shot. So it’s action, we drive, we get out and walk in, cut. And we were in separate cars. I’m in my own car and 2Pac was in another car. He has a young lady driving him to the game.”
He continued. “So 2Pac grabbed [a knob] and slipped. There was a rhythm to it. Did it again and it was like, ‘Cut!’ He said, ‘Oh you guys gotta fix this. This ain’t working for me.’ So they said, ‘Nah let’s just try it again! I think you’ll be able to get it.’ So the second time, same thing happens. He gets out the car, goes to the trailer, stays in the trailer like two hours. So what did I learn from that? I learned the power of the actor. Because they had to come, put another knob on the car for him. He chilled out, basically smoked weed in his trailer for two hours. He had the set smelling like whatever it was going around. But I really did gain that because it was a real gain. I realized that once they start filming you in the movie, they’re pretty much at your whim after that.”
Historical crime dramas are very in right now, what with FX’s Los Angeles-set Snowfall being renewed for a fifth season this spring and 50 Cent’s latest Power spin-off, Raising Kanan, currently airing on Starz, and a New Jack City reboot reportedly in the works.
It seems that audiences are, well, hooked on tales of drug kingpins rising to power — and falling off at their peaks — especially if those stories are at least loosely based on reality. With 50 Cent’s next Starz show, though, the line between fiction and history will blur more than ever as BMF explores the rise and fall of Detroit’s Black Mafia Family with some help from Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Wood Harris, who apparently will play an iconic drug dealer at every chance he gets.
Today, Starz released the trailer for the 50 Cent-produced drama series, which premieres on Sunday, September 26. It’s full of crack-era clothing, booming ghetto blasters playing Run-DMC’s “King Of Rock,” intense staredowns, and tersely-framed shootouts. Title cards tout the BMF‘s influence on hip-hop fashion, music, and culture (just check out Rick Ross’ “BMF,” in which he shouts out kingpin “Big Meech” while subtly nodding to the gang with the title’s acronym). Earlier this week, it was revealed that Eminem would have a role in BMF as well, portraying real-life FBI informant White Boy Rick — a role the real Rick approved of.
