An EXCLUSIVE chat with Jermaine Crawford, “Dukie” from ‘The Wire’
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- January
- 6
Many viewers, myself included, were amazed by the four young men who were at the core of last year’s season of The Wire.
Duquan “Dukie” Weems, the desperately poor boy whose family takes everything anyone ever gives him to help feed their addictions, was portrayed by Washington, D.C., native Jermaine Crawford. Though the focus of the series shifts from the schools to the media this season, it doesn’t lose sight of the teens and we get to see more of Dukie, Randy, Namond and Michael in this, the fifth and final season. (By the way, if you haven’t watched The Wire before, check out this handy-dandy summary of the first four seasons. Then thee to a video rental store and rent ‘em!)
Myself, I was struck by the hopefulness of Dukie’s character. Even when his supposed friends  and everyone else  is mocking him out for being unwashed or withdrawn, there was still a glimmer of … something. He blossomed under the care of Mr. Pryzbylewski (“Prez”), who quickly came to understand that bringing Dukie’s clothes to his own house to wash them was a better option than collecting clothes and bringing them to Dukie’s house. If he did the latter, all he’d be doing was providing Dukie’s family with a way of feeding their addictions.
Crawford was in New York this week and spoke to Remote Access via cell phone while he was riding a cab.
Turns out his first role was playing a young Michael Jackson in a community theater when he was 7 or 8 years old. The play was written by a local, called “Michael Jackson and the Ghost of Ben,” and was about the King of Pop and his beloved pet rat.
Crawford, who turned 15 in October, got into acting via musical theater. His singing and dancing abilities led to roles and it turned out he could act pretty well.
He auditioned five times for The Wire, reading the first time for Michael. They asked him to come back, but to read for Dukie this time. Three readings later, he flew out to Los Angeles for a screen test. The next week he got the part.
They gave us the news that I got the part and I was just so excited, screaming all over the place. I was actually hoarse.
Though his big brother watched the show all the time, he hadn’t gotten to watch it much before he auditioned.
I always loved the show, but, like, I could never catch it because I always had to go to sleep to early. Now that I’m actually on it, I can stay up a little bit more so I can watch it.
His portrayal of Dukie also sparked an interest in writing and producing a documentary on teenage homelessness. He was inspired not just by his role, but also by all the people he met who are the real-life “Dukies,” he said.
It really inspired me to be an advocate to make a change on the teenage homelessness, going around, not just in Baltimore but in America, all around.
The Wire, you see, is filmed on the streets of Baltimore. Many of the characters on the show were once on the streets, in their real lives, which is part of what gives the show its authenticity.
Most people think that it’s a set, but it’s really the strets of Baltimore. And I just try to look around and to see how the environment is and see how the people who walk around me — I just try to reflect and, you know, broadcast it from my insides. I just try to, not mimic everything that’s going around me, just take it in and kind of put it out there with my twist on it.
Here’s an audio link to the full, 12-minute (!) interview:
Download:
And, just for kicks, here’s a few links:
• The official HBO character description of Duquan “Dukie” Weems.
• HBO’s official actor bio for Crawford.
• Crawford’s IMDB page.
And below are links to previous Wire interviews we published on Remote Access. They were conducted by HBO during and shortly after filming wrapped on Season 5, which begins tonight:
• Clarke Peters (Detective Lester Freamon)
• Wendell Pierce (Detective William “Bunk� Moreland)
• Andre Royo (Bubbles)
• Dominic West (Cop James “Jimmy” McNulty)
• David Simon and Nina Kostroff Noble (executive producers)
This entry was posted
on Sunday, January 6th, 2008 at 9:00 am by Amy Vernon.
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