thaFormula.com - I have been really big on your character man and how you play it so ruthlessly…

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Thank you. The show is good and there is a lot of good writing on it so it comes out when we all get together.

thaFormula.com - Why do you feel personally that most people get started in theatre acting wise?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Because theatre is difficult and if you can master theatre then you usually will have an easier time with film and television. If you get that down, you know you've got skills.

thaFormula.com - Now I have heard that the streets of Baltimore are really like the show portrays it, but what I was wondering even more so is are the schools, police, and the city officials, etc really like the show claims it to be?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - About 85 to 90 percent of what you see on "The Wire" actually happened. It's not only like that, but those actual things took place and I have talked to teachers in Baltimore who have told me about all types of incidents in these schools. Sometimes there are classes with no teachers and the class will just sit there. Sometimes there are teachers with no classes and its just really crazy. The school I went to 40 minutes south of Baltimore was very much like that. It was for troubled youth so it was more regulated but it was very much like that. There are sections of it that are coming up but there are other sections where they have just been completely abandoned and just left because there is no money there and no one "worth saving."

thaFormula.com - Did the show shedding light on these things change anything now that people from all over the country have seen what is going down?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - I think so. I don't know how much, but I know that it has opened up a dialogue amongst politicians and cops. I've heard from people who are now talking about these things more openly and about what's going on.

thaFormula.com - Did you guys face any problems at all from the city seeing as how corrupt the show can make the city look?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - The city showed a lot of love, but at times the mayor made it clear that he didn't necessarily like the depiction of Baltimore on the show. He felt that it was all negative, too negative and that that's not the case. But that's one person's opinion and I totally understand him wanting to protect the image or an image of the city but these problems wont get solved if you just pretend everything is all good.

thaFormula.com - How did you feel about the image the show gives out about the city of Baltimore, were you cool with it?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - That's a good question. I'm cool with it depicting the truth. If it was just glorifying violence or glorifying ghetto life just for the sake of doing it then nah, I wouldn't be cool with it. But that's not what these people are doing, that's not what the writers are doing or what the producers and actors are doing. They are just relating what truths are there. Let's say we didn't have "The Wire" and we didn't tell these stories, these things would still be there, they are not creating it. So the first step of actually solving it is identifying and recognizing it. It's necessary to depict this.

thaFormula.com - Now you auditioned for "The Wire" a couple of times, who did you originally audition for?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - They brought me in a couple of times. They had me come in and read for the "Marlo Stanfield" character and then they offered me the part of "Slim Charles."

thaFormula.com - When you auditioned for "Marlo" what happened with that?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - It went well, they liked it but they just decided to go another way, which is cool and it happens all the time in this business. But they liked me and liked what I did so they offered me another role. So I ended up taking that role but I ended up passing on it later on because I was doing some other things and they came back at me a few months later with "Chris" and it was a perfect fit.

thaFormula.com - It's funny how your character and "Marlo's" are similar in a lot of ways, I can see now why they originally had you audition for "Marlo." How was the chemistry with you and Jaime?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Jaime that's my boy. He and I are mad close. It's funny because we never met before we started filming but then afterwards it was just like we were in sync. I understood why he was "Marlo" and why I was "Chris" so its funny man, 'cause there is a chemistry off set that comes on set.

thaFormula.com - Now can you explain why your character beat "Michaels" father to death with your bare hands because though the show hints as to why "Michael" wanted him dead, it is never actually explained in detail to the people?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - "Chris" had experienced the same thing that "Michael" had and that's why he took it so personal. Now the brilliance of the show is that they don't have to spoon-feed it to you. They hint to it. So the father did molest "Michael" and he was about to molest his little brother. If you saw those scenes where "Michael" would come in and his little brother was there with the father and "Michael" would feel very uncomfortable and everything so he knew that he was getting ready to do this. He knew he had to do something before it happened to him too.

thaFormula.com - Are these the type of roles that you wanted to play and how did you feel about playing the role of a drug dealer or killer?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - It's funny because I never read for "Chris." But as far as preparing or reading for this type of role or of a drug dealer or in the game, I'm glad that if I was going to do a part somewhat in the game like this that it would be on a show like "The Wire." Where it's about the honesty of the situation. These people are not happy people. Yeah they are running drugs and they got money, but they are not doing it because they are building an empire and living a good life. They are doing it because they are suffering in the ghetto. They don't know anything else. It's a painful situation and that's not something to emulate, that's something to avoid and they depict that. Everyone on the show has good and bad. Everyone on the show takes an "L" or a win sometimes.

thaFormula.com - Now when you first got on the show, you negotiated your own deal right?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Yeah when I first got on I didn't know anything 'cause I didn't have an agent or manager or whatever and I had been getting myself work for like a year doing theatre. So the first offer it was like, "oh really, I'll take that!" (laughs)

thaFormula.com - As you look back, do you regret not having a manager or an agent to negotiate that deal?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - I don't regret it because I believe everything happens for a reason first of all, and secondly as I started out I needed to learn as much as possible. I didn't have an agent or manager in the beginning of my career and I always got myself work. I think for me that was the best thing, because unlike many other actors I never developed dependency on an agent or a manager to get myself work. So no matter what I'm gonna work. No matter who is in my team or in my crew, if I don't have an agent or manager or whatever I'm gonna work cause I have done it before and it was easy for me, so I don't regret that at all.

thaFormula.com - Now a big reason you came to L.A. and New York early on was because of pilot season, what exactly is that for those not in the know?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Pilot season happens on both coasts, in L.A. and New York and its the first few months of the year where all the networks and studios are casting all their new shows they have just green lit and decided to go ahead and create and fund, so its like a feeding frenzy for actors and writers and so on. So a good place to be during this time is L.A. or New York.

thaFormula.com - What did you get from the pilot season?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Well actually I booked "Barbershop" the series in my first pilot season. It's pilot season now but I'm doing "The Wire" now.

thaFormula.com - How was it being able to play a comedy role in "Barbershop" and then playing a role as a killer in "The Wire?" Were you glad you were able to play 2 different types of characters like that?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Absolutely, it was a blessing to be able to play to such different characters so close together at the same time really. It only lasted a season but it was a hot season. It didn't get canceled because of numbers or anything. A lot of people were watching and it and it did get a lot of love.

thaFormula.com - Now awards wise, why do you think you guys have not received your due?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - That's a good question. There is a lot of theories as to why but I have no idea to be honest. Some people say like the people who decide these awards and vote on them don't want to see the demise of an American city and "The Wire" kind of shows what is going on there. Some people say its because it has a large black cast even though its not a black show, people who don't look at it deeply would maybe just look at it and say "oh its a black show, forget it." Also, the people behind the show are very much into quality as opposed to shopping a product around in order to get accolades and so they put their energies into the quality of the show, which is why the show is so good. Some people think that they should shop it around or they should do more of the Hollywood thing but that's not who they are, that's not what this show is about. I feel that the show should be judged on its merit. I think its safe to say that the creators of the show feel the same way. If its not judged on its merit, that's unfortunate.

thaFormula.com - Is there one actor in particular to you that should have won something by now after 4 seasons?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Yeah, that show has so many great actors and it's hard to choose one but I would have to say right away Andre Royo.

thaFormula.com - That's what I felt too man?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Its such unbelievable work that it's not even a question to me because that guy right there should have been nominated for one or at least one.

thaFormula.com - Were you upset at all when you heard the show was gonna be canceled after the third season?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Nah. I never completely believed there wasn't gonna be a fourth season but that's the industry we are in. I mean this project happened to have a lot of my heart and my soul in it and I kind of grew up on the show because when I first started filming, I was an extra on the show and now I have come to be one of the actors on the show, so its very personal to me but I also know the industry I'm in so I've got to keep it moving. I'm out doing other things. Although I love "The Wire," I'm not just "Chris" from "The Wire." I've got a movie coming out in September called "The Savages." We just opened Sundance recently with that movie so you've just got to keep it moving.

thaFormula.com - Now you mentioned coming into "The Wire" as an extra, did you ever imagine your character growing so much over a short time?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - I didn't know what to expect because I try not to have to many expectations, but the writer's kind of let on like "you know what, expect to be back" and you never know what's gonna happen because they could want you back but then there is all this studio stuff that's involved and all this other stuff that's involved so you never know. But they kind of gave me a heads up and it actually came to pass so it was a great thing.

thaFormula.com - In your eyes, how much of the movie "Hollywood Shuffle" is reality and what kind of impact did that movie have on you?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - That movie was good because one, how they shot it. They shot it with no budget. They were doing it on scraps. Two because a lot of what they showed was true then and its still true now, it's crazy. They did a good job of depicting that and making fun of it. It has definitely had an influence on me. I saw that movie before I had any interest in acting.

thaFormula.com - Do you get in those situations where you get offered those certain roles?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Yeah and I just turn them down. Me, I'm not one of those dudes where I will do anything to work or be famous or whatever. If I'm only getting certain roles, I will be like "forget it," I will go write books some place. I'm interested in philanthropy and service, I'll go work with a non-profit or something like that. So I'm not gonna pimp myself or allow someone to pimp me just because its work and employment, nah that's okay cause there is a lot of things I can do and be happy doing.

thaFormula.com - Other than acting, I know that you are down with "Physicians for Peace," break that down for people not in the know…

Gbenga Akinnagbe - "Physicians for Peace" is a program that goes around the world and they train doctors in villages and small towns in modern medical techniques so they can help the locals in their area and so on and its a wonderful program because its the beginning of a service to people who don't have anything. I try to bring attention to their cause so people can give to them so they can help give to others so people can see the work that's being done and see where the need in the world is, because its not just a local thing, we think the world is our neighborhood or our world is the United States but we really need to start thinking globally because that's it, we are here together. I didn't mean to go into a speech like this but I'm real passionate about this stuff so we have to start thinking about the world.

thaFormula.com - I know you are going to be traveling to Africa for this, why do you feel so many black people never think of traveling to Africa when going on vacations or whatever?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - I think it is because a lot of black people have learned that their history begins with slavery here in the United States. If you ask a lot of black people you know "tell me about black history," it would be, "we were slaves, the revolution, Lincoln he set the slaves free and this and that." We have been given a lot of lies and we have accepted it pretty readily. But the thing is and what we don't realize is that our history began way before slavery and way before the United States was even created and it's still very much alive. We're also told that there is no real need to know anything about that because everything we need and want is here to strive for. All the "bling" and all that stuff is what we need to strive for right here. So we get these images of what Africa is, you know people poor, naked, dying of aids and this and that but in Africa there is so many different layers and places. There is snow in Africa, people are skiing in Africa, people are playing Playstation 3, people are making music and doing all these different things, but we don't ever see those images so we accept those negative images of where we once came from and so we don't want to have anything to do with that.

thaFormula.com - Now as an actor, how do you feel about Method Man's acting skills in "The Wire"?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - I have mad respect for Method Man. You saw that scene I had with him? That was my first time meeting him. He did everything he was supposed to do and he had mad experience. I also have a lot of respect for Ice Cube too because he has developed as an Actor. He's developed as a Producer and all these other things and you could see the change. It's not like he just held on to "I'm Ice Cube, put me in movies" or whatever, he's actually grown and gotten better. So I've got mad respect for cats like them who are trying to do it right in their way.

thaFormula.com - So now that this will be the 5th and final season of "The Wire," are you kind of sad that this is it?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Yeah, it's a mixed bag. It's sad to see the final season of a great show, but you also want to go out while it's hot. You don't want to fade out and everything. 'Cause lots of good shows have gone on too long and have just started writing all kinds of crap just to continue pumping out episodes and "The Wire" has never done that and it would be great if they never do that. So it's a mixed bag you know?

thaFormula.com - It sucks that finally the show is starting to get some real exposure and now it's the final season...

Gbenga Akinnagbe - Exactly, this is the type of show that's gonna hit people years later like "oh snap that was one of the best shows ever and we totally missed it."

thaFormula.com - So is there no possible chance of it extending after season 5?

Gbenga Akinnagbe - No, I wouldn't say that because they extended "The Sopranos" and they extend certain shows that are popular when they say its the final season, so there is maybe a chance and I'm definitely up for that too.

thaFormula.com - Yeah because I think the show still has a good 2 or 3 seasons left in it man…

Gbenga Akinnagbe - There is definite potential to go on a few more seasons. Truth doesn't run out, it's not like there's a certain amount of truth you can depict. You can go on and tell whets really going on and it will be interesting. So yeah there is definitely a lot of material.

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