JK: I loved you on "Numb3rs." The Scott brothers must love "The Wire."WP: They love "The Wire." The writers came to the set, and they asked if they could call me "Bunk" for the week. We've been getting roles due to "The Wire," and that really encourages me. Alan Arkin and the "Heroes" team came to our seminar at the Academy in Hollywood. They are big fans of "The Wire."
JK: This may be your best revenge for no Emmy nominations.
WP: I think the Emmy voters are all about voting for their show and not others. I just think what those kids did last season was some of the best acting and writing I've ever seen. We're not in Hollywood and there's also the politics of competition. I think the Emmy voter says, "Boy, that was a great episode of "The Wire," now let me vote for "House." Then the racial makeup of the show proves that actors of color are not given the same credence. They look at characters like Omar, and they don't see the humanity. I tell people that this issue is at the core of whether or not we are going to grow as a society. It's not overt racism, but the fact that you can look at a character like Omar, make a passing judgment, and not see his humanity is sad.
JK: Maybe "The Wire" will make a difference there. To me, the scenes you had with Michael K. Williams on the bench about the gun and the jail release last year have been some of the most powerful scenes in the whole show.
WP: That scene about the gun came from a retired doctor I know. I could not figure out where they were going with the gun. They didn't tell me. I was talking to some of the writers. I think many black police officers become cops to make a contribution to their city or neighborhood. They want to help the working poor, who are disproportionately victims of crime. This doctor reminded me that we used to take care of each other, and we would stop neighborhood crime on our own because we wanted to have the chance to get out. Soon, the writers told me I was going to meet Omar. Can we share some of that story? That's how that scene came about.
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