The cast of The Wire was back in Baltimore over the weekend, taking part in an event sharing stories from real-life residents of the city.
Michael K. Williams (Omar Little), Sonja Sohn (Det. Shakima “Kima” Greggs), Andre Royo (“Bubbles” Cousins), Larry Gilliard Jr. (D’Angelo Barksdale), and Felicia “Snoop” Pearson (Snoop) were among those on hand Saturday, according to the Baltimore Sun, while Dominic West (Det. Jimmy McNulty), Wendell Pierce (Det. Bunk Moreland), and series creator David Simon appeared via taped video messages.
“Wired Up! A Celebration of the Spirit + Power of the People of Baltimore,” featured the actors reading monologues written by West Baltimore residents that came together during a two-day workshop. The event, its website says, aimed to celebrate the city’s resiliency and recognize “the ‘unsung heroes’ of Baltimore — those who serve inside and amongst the community, tirelessly and selflessly.”
The monologues, the Sun reports, focused on the April 27 disturbances that occurred following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody earlier that month.
“We can’t wait for more people to die,” Sohn told the audience. “We can’t wait for any more black men to die at the hands of police officers who were acting irresponsibly. That’s why we put this event together. We’re actors, and what we can do is to build a platform to raise voices that need to be heard.”
Williams, per the Sun, also said he came to love Baltimore during the time he spent there shooting The Wire, which was set there and ran on HBO from 2002-2008.
“I feel that it is my responsibility to use whatever platform I’ve got to shine light on the people and the problems they face,” he said. “In the eight years I was here, I saw a lot of positives. I saw a lot of potential. And, I saw a whole lot of passion.”
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