Robert Wisdom

Biography

Robert Wisdom (born 1953 in Washington, D.C.) is an American actor of Jamaican descent, known mainly for his television work and for a long career in supporting roles in dramas and action films. His career spans cult series and big-budget productions, and he has become a much sought-after character actor.

Born in Washington to immigrant Jamaican parents, he attended St. Albans School and then Columbia University, where he was a standout sprinter on the track team. He had turned down athletic scholarships to attend Columbia and, as a senior, became drawn to acting after taking classes as a hobby. His first major roles came at the Bush Theatre in London, followed by work across England and Scotland.

He reached a wide audience as Howard “Bunny” Colvin in The Wire, the HBO drama in which he appears in much of the third and fourth seasons. He had originally auditioned for the role of Stringer Bell. On film he co-starred in Barbershop 2: Back in Business and Ray, both from 2004, and in Freedom Writers (2007). That same year he joined Prison Break as Lechero, a Panamanian drug kingpin, and he later had recurring parts in Supernatural, Happy Town and Burn Notice.

From 2012 to 2013 he was a series regular in the first season of the ABC drama Nashville, playing Coleman Carlisle. He has also taken part in large-scale action films such as Face/Off and The Dark Knight Rises. At one point in his career he worked as a producer for NPR's All Things Considered. His role as Jim Moss in the HBO black comedy Barry earned him a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. His legacy rests on a solid career as a supporting actor, working across genres in film and television, and he has been honored with an NAACP Image Award.

Key films

• Face/Off (1997): a supporting role in John Woo's large-scale action thriller.
• Ray (2004): co-starring in the biopic of Ray Charles.
• Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004): in the cast of the sequel to the comedy set in a Chicago barbershop.
• Freedom Writers (2007): in the school drama led by Hilary Swank.
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012): in the third instalment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy.