Wendell Pierce on Legacy, Range, and Speaking Truth to Power
Actor, philanthropist, and activist Wendell Pierce stays busy.
In fact, at the top of this interview, I told him he is probably the hardest working man in show business now that James Brown is no longer with us.
He chuckles at that assessment, but he also recognizes the validity in it. After all, Wendell Pierce is a man on a mission. He has roles he wants to take on and complete before he hangs up his bright and shining star.
Pierce was highly-lauded and made history as the first Black man to ever play main character Willy Loman in a Broadway production of “Death of a Salesman,” something he says he worked hard for all his life. He still has dreams of playing Shakespeare’s titular character Othello, as well as Walter Lee in Lorraine Hansberry’s classic “A Raisin in the Sun.”
A person who sets their sights that high has to be determined and dedicated to their craft , and those words describe Wendell Pierce to a “T.”
In this exclusive interview with NewsOne, Pierce discusses the importance of using his platform to advocate for social justice and the Black community; a scene from his role as Bunk Moreland on “The Wire” that he describes as one of the highlights of his career; and growing up with the musically talented Marsalis family and the way some of the Marsalis brothers teased him in his youth.
SEE ALSO:
Wendell Pierce: White Landlord Denied Harlem Apartment Rental Over Race
Wendell Pierce Addresses Obama’s Black Male Voters Message
