TB: Tell me about how you got your start?

MKW: Well my background is dancing. I danced and worked on a couple of music videos and eventually caught the attention of the late great Tupac Shakur. He took me under his wing and treated me like his little brother. My first movie Bullet was with him and Mickey O’Rourke.

TB: What kind of training have you had over the years to hone your craft?

MKW: Well being from New York City I’ve had a lot of experience in off-Broadway plays. I’ve trained with the Ellen Stuart Theatre, the National Black Theatre, Mtunde Samuel and the Theatre for a New Generation.

TB: The Road is a gut-wrenching story that almost seems too fantastic to ever be true. What did you think when you first read the script?

MKW: I loved it! It’s actually a very harsh reality that I think we’re rapidly approaching. It’s a family story that looks at life in terms of a crisis and when you’re with your family you pull through and lean on them.  The story isn’t that hard to believe and it’s actually very real and true and something we all can relate to.

TB: How did you prepare for your role? Although it was small it was very powerful and an important part of the story.

MKW: Once I got into hair, makeup and wardrobe it was easy to really jump into everything and connect with the story and what the character was going through. Being able to physically look the part makes it easy to lend yourself to the story.

TB: I recently saw Miracle at St. Anna for the second time and your character really jumped out and made a lasting impression. What was it like to work on such a monumental film? 

MKW: Working with Spike was like a dream come true. There were more than 300 of us men over in Tuscany, Italy on top of a huge mountain. For two weeks we went through boot camp so we could understand what it was like to be a solider at that time.  Working with everyone in the cast was also just a great experience. Derek Luke, Laz, Michael Ealy, they were all amazing people to work with.

TB: I’m a big Law and Order fan and when you guest starred in one the episodes, it was like you really created the character from the bottom up and made it your own.

MKW: Yeah that role was specifically written with me in mind. One of the producers who’s now a good friend of mine, Amanda Green, actually made that role for me.

TB: Oh wow! No wonder. You definitely stood out as more than just another “perp”, you really owned that character.

MKW: Yes she was familiar with my work on The Wire so she created that character especially for me.

TB: Do you worry about being type cast?

MKW: Never! I worry about not eating. This is the life I’ve chosen and it’s my job. Now I’m not gonna play myself and take something that I don’t agree with but more so my projects choose me. I have to get that feeling when I’m going over a script. I have definitely passed on certain meetings and opportunities that just didn’t feel right to me.

TB: Who are some of the players in the game that inspire you today?

MKW: I pull different things from different people. Generally I like Don Cheadle, Samuel Jackson, Wesley [Snipes], Matt Damon and Christopher Walken.

TB: Tell me about the new HBO project you’re working on.

MKW: It’s a new series called the Boardwalk Empire. It takes place in the 1920’s in New York City.  We have a great cast, Mike Pitt and a host of other great actors. Martin Scorsese is working on the project as well. He’s another one of my dreams come true. I put him on the same shelf as Spike, he’s a genius. My first time working with him was actually on a film called Bringing out The Dead.

TB: Most people know you best for playing the character Omar in The Wire. How did that experience transform you as an actor?

MKW: It sharpened my mental muscle. I put so much research into season one and so when you’re so used to starting over with new characters once the second season came around again I realized I had to find the character again. I realized that this is what happens when you come back season after season, you have to build the character again. It made me stronger and able to go through the process of character analyzation. 

TB: Because of the breadth of your work, you have such intrigue surrounding you. What would fans be surprised to know about you as a person?

MKW: Omar fans would be shocked to know that I’m not like that at all. They always say “Wait! He’s so nice!” When they see that I’m this  happy, up beat guy they are always surprised.

TB: What’s next on the agenda for you?

MKW: I want to produce and develop stories. I don’t want to write and I don’t want to direct.

TB: Why not?

MKW: I’m a horrible speller (laughs); writing is not my thing but I have an eye for good stories so I’d like to be able to produce quality projects.

TB: You’re such a New Yorker and have built a solid foundation for your career here. How do you handle the west coast scene and that side of the industry?

MKW: I take people at face value. If we have a connection that we gone rock. I can mix with  I mean I’m a New Yorker at heart but I do like the LA energy, it definitely works for me. 

TB: So I can’t let you go without throwing one in there for all my hardcore Wire fans. Is there any chance there will ever be a Wire: The Movie?

MKW: No. No Wire Movie. I think it was perfect the way it is. A movie would jeopardize the integrity of the show. Also we have a huge family of people that would have to get together to make that happen. The cast is so large and it would be very hard to get all of those people on the same schedule and track to produce something like that.

TB: Thanks so much. You are truly an amazing talent and I can’t wait to see what else you have in store.

MKW:  Thank you.  I give all credit to the man upstairs.

The Road is currently in theaters, view the trailer here.