I don't think you're getting it. I believe what Dave Kane was saying is that if Carver had been cast as a Stringer, the entire Stringer part would've been adapted for him. It would've been a very different Stringer, and Elba would sure as hell be ridiculous for it, just as he would be ridiculous as Carver.
Funny, too, about Bubbles and the gum. If anybody wants a laugh, YT (I will try to get the approx. title of it) "Al Swearingen auditions". Its Titus Welliver, who does INCREDIBLE impressions, in his full on Deadwood costume, doing a skit he wrote, where he is writer David Milch interviewing variously: Al Pacino, Chris Walken, Robert Duvall and Deniro, for the part of Al Swearingen. Guess I reminded myself of it, beyond these auditions, by writing about the cliche bubble gum bit, as he has all these celebrities with actors studio/method acting roots wanting to put handicaps on the character, and dance, as well. PEACE
It's funny because that really is apparently why he got the role. A bunch of rappers had their reps reach out to the wire to get them a spot, but just wanted one with no hassle. Method Man was the only one who showed some actual respect to the process and the production to earn a role instead of leaning on his fame. And he did great as Cheese. Hated that character for all the right reasons.
@@hollisfortune8791 yeah i was gonna comment the same thing “american accent” dont mind the southern accent and its twenty other variations or the typical mid western accent and ITS twenty different variations Nahhhhh everyone in north america just sounds like bill burr
@@clawzx1195 ... lol. Yeah, Balmer definitely has it's own unique accent. Ask one of them to say "hot dog". It's more like "hat dug". I have to give props to the actors because most of them nailed it pretty good.
+juvenilemafia10 Totally agree with that. He was perfect as Chris though. A guy with a warm smile, seemingly all nice and friendly.. flip the switch, and the guy just murders without blinking. To me, he was much scarier than anyone else on the show. Just seeing Marlo, Bird, etc, you could just see their type of person through how they behaved. Not so much with Chris. Was great acting by everyone on that show :)
+juvenilemafia10 I kept thinking this the whole show. And guy who played Marlo makes a lot of sense as Chris. I can see that. But my god Carver for Bell? No no no :))
+juvenilemafia10 Hmm, I'm not sure I can agree with that... for me the most remarkable thing about Gbenga (ie Chris) is his incredibly open, happy smile, which works to chilling effect for his character as a guy for whom contract killing is basically an enjoyable way to earn a living. Marlo takes his work much more seriously; he's driven, he doesn't seem to actually enjoy much of anything.
He gets a lot of flak, but I honestly had no idea it was method man or that he wasn't a trained actor. He didn't do a bad job by any means. I've watched the wire a few times and even on repeated viewings I don't think there's anything wrong with his acting. The fact that he portrayed a character that's so hated might have something to do with it. No sweeter scene than when Slim shoots him.
@@MSimp2k6 As far as I know, The Wire has exactly two hip-hop cameos. Obviously, Method Man as Cheese...but one that slipped by younger viewers is Fredro Starr (of Onyx) as Bird.
The funny part is when McNulty gets the job to pretend to be English. An Englishman pretending to be an American pretending to be an Englishman. Spot on!
phorest I can't remember which episode, but when McNulty is at the bar (I think with Cedric) talking about "going down to ocean" his accent slips through really bad.
Casting team nailed it. Esp since some actors auditioned for other characters. In the end they got the perfect fit. Did anyone else audition for OMAR ?
Baltimorehop actually he might've been able to, he played a cop who turned into a druggie in Oz so it's possible. Carver as Stringer Bell though? that's probably the most ridiculous one lol.
phorest I agree. Daniels could have pulled off Bubbles (funny if it had been the other way around, no fucking way!) Chris as Marlo might have worked, huh?
its awesome with the wire because a lot of the main players were heavy criminals(marlo, stringer, avon, omar) so to see them out of character is mind blowing
Looking at people who could have played other parts. It's amazing the way some characters make a role there's so that anyone else playing it would just be wrong
I watch the whole series every couple of years. Each time I do so, i appreciate the series more and more. It's like an old friend I visit with. Thank you David Simon and cast.
I can't imagine any of these actors being anyone else than who they played.. The writing, the castings, and the actors, were so incredible.. I have never seen a series that felt so real
Finished watching The Wire for the first time on Friday (11/26/21). My son had literally been begging me to watch the show for over ten years! The writing and character development of the show was off the charts. Can’t even wrap my head around different actors playing other roles. I’m going to watch the series again in the new year!💯
I can definitely see the actor who played Chris playing Marlo and he’d have probably been brilliant, but his performance as Chris was amazing, one of the best performances of the entire series imo, he’s one of the most unsettling villains I’ve seen in film or television
I would give everything I own plus everything my best friend owns (without his knowledge) for the Creators of the Wire to get everyone from the show back together and do an just one episode from the show with all of the actors playing the roles they originally auditioned for. Especially an episode that focused on Stringer/Avon and Bubbles. Can you guys fucking imagine watching an intense episode of The Wire with everyone playing the roles they said they auditioned for in the videos? I think it would make my fucking head explode!
***** haha actually I meant an old episode. A new episode with all of them playing the original characters would be strange because you wouldn't know what was supposed to happen or how the characters would react to a new situation so it would just come off odd. What would blow my mind is all of them in the spots they auditioned for in an episode where we already know what happened. Im saying imagine seeing Lance Riddock play Bubbles for example in the episode after he accidentally kills that kid with the heroin cut with cyanide! It would be insane to see him in those scenes. Imagine the episode with Stringer and Avon giving each other up... Hell there are a lot of episodes that would be amazing to see the cast all flipped around.
"When I went in to read for Bubbles everyone was chewing bubble gum." lmfaoooooooooooo! I had to pause the video I was laughing so hard. Oh man, too good.
The fact that the actor who played Slim was auditioning for Marlo shows you how far they had the show planned out. They must've written all five seasons at once
I was raised on The Wire in the Rocky Mountains, but it wasn't until I lived in D.C. that I came to appreciate more of its nuances. Simon's an anthropologist at heart, and the value of The Wire and Treme (especially) is that each character is developed according to a totally believable set of background circumstances. The same is true of The Sopranos. That kind of quality is only achieved by long-ass hours of research, which is why shit shows (literally) on Showtime and Starz like Homeland and Boss will always be a farce for pseudo-enthusiasts --network TV doesn't even enter into the equation. Literature is dead for print, but those creative minds keep coming in the form of a few select series. The Sopranos and The Wire introduced a whole new sense of realism, which Treme has nearly mastered. The only setback to the future progress of great series is the same setback that has doomed creativity for eternity: viewers. It is our opinions that pollute the airwaves with cliche bullshit, as the networks like the writer's name recognition, but ultimately only care about dollars and nonsense. Maybe if we could somehow gather more artists and less critics, this paradigm would shift, but until then, please let us show some respect to those who have enough talent and balls to exercise artistry in this growing era of pathetic cell-phone-keyboard critics.
The Sopranos was amazing (my number #2), but I don't think it had the same possibilities of the wire. There were quite a few long-running arcs in the Sopranos (Chrissy's struggle with addiction, Pussy being a rat, Tony's subtle changes over the years), but it mostly felt like the die was cast -- none of the primary characters had a fundamental change in their outlook. Tony became more and more entrenched, selfish and paranoid. While these stories were all great, nuanced and superbly acted, it felt like whatever would be would be. The Wire felt more organic and alive. While there were plenty of 'static' characters (in that they did not developer much, if at all as a result of their experiences), they also served as a reference point for just how much others changed. Examples: - Herc & Carver - they're practically indistinguishable from one another at the start, but are entirely different people by the end. Why? Colvin. One of the few uppers who wasn't chasing stats managed to make a real policeman of Carver. - Carcetti - idealistic and keen to do the right thing, but once under pressure, quickly reverts to the type of behaviour he railed against so he can continue his rise through the party. - All of the kids. Almost literally all of them. Good kids that are intelligent and caring become cold and hard through necessity. I'm sure most parents would be overjoyed to have a kid like Mike (looks out for his friends, is basically a parent to his brother) Randy (empathetic, whip smart) or Dukie (an amazingly well-rounded guy considering his upbringing), but they're all lost because of their environment. All of these kids have somebody looking out for them (Miss Ella, Carver, Prezbo, Cutty) but it's not enough to save them. They're all better adjusted than Namond, who does make it thanks to an outside intervention. When you're watching, it's totally unclear how things will play out. All you can do is cross your fingers.
I just finished watching the last episode. I love the wire. fantastic! Omar was my favourite and I love how Gus at the Sun brushed off Omar's death to make space for other stories. great writing and perfect casting
Dominic West looks and sounds like a British politician who ends up on an MTV talk show and talks about his favourite rap music and gets all posh about it lol
When the guy who plays Chris said he auditioned for Marlo for a second I was like, “yeah I could see that.” Then they cut to Jamie Hector and I was like nah never mind lmao
You said it all. Cathy is more comical than Clarke Peters aka Lester Freemon but what really made Freemon's character was his methodical approach to the crimes in the show. Whether Cathy could have pulled that off remains to be seen. I totally agree with you on if those characters would have been switched around. Oh brother! LOL
I hope in a few years, when deep fake technology is easier to do, someone will re-edit the whole of The Wire with who they originally went to auditioned for. It’d be like living in alternate universe.
I really like that they didn't just let the actors go when they weren't right for the initial characters they auditioned for, but actually found the right role for each actor on the show. Really cool way of doing it.
Just imagined if these guys actually got the part they originally auditioned for. Imagine the guy who played Chris as Marlo & the guy who played Marlo as Cutty.
The GREATEST show EVER to come out of America. The writing is genius. So ADDICTIVE. The casting is spot on. Every single character in all five seasons is so believable. The Wire is how you make entertainment. Nothing but Nothing comes near The Wire. FanBloodyTastic
Laughed my ass off about Carver getting Stringer. It would've been better if Herc followed it saying he'd auditioned for Avon Barksdale. Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine Herc and Carver play Avon and Stringer, this could have easily turned into a sitcom then.
Looking back at the show, I can’t even imagine any of these actors in a different role from what they’ve done in the show. I mean, Carver’s actor as Stringer Bell?! Lance Reddick as Bubbles?!
strange how all these actors were virtually unknown but in the atmosphere of the show the performances are uncanny and soo believable even the way they look
What a tremendous achievement by HBO and the production team. I recently re-watched all 5 seasons sequentially - and I was transfixed by the acting chops, the directorial excellence, and of course, the writing prowess. Although the show has a LOT of violence, it is mitigated by the nuanced storylines, and the clever editing to keep you attuned to many plots all at the same time. Not to mention the actors able to do American accents seamlessly. I used to think "Breaking Bad" and "The Sopranos" were the 'best tv series ever' and The Wire is at home in their rarified company, no doubt. It's amazing how cheap life is on those mean Baltimore streets. The stupidity and greed of the drug dealers, combined with the petty politics of the mayor's office and police brass bring charisma and color to each episode. Attorney Levy is masterful, and Houk as his "investigator" is priceless in the final season.
@@shakir1998 I'd love if you had a timestamp or which part of the episode. looking for an extra in an hour film is like looking for a needle in a haystack lol
The guy who played Chris playing Marlo would actually have been interesting, plus Reg Cathey would probably have been a good Freamon. The others, not so much.
Clay Davis as Lester? Sheeeeeeeiiiiit
Hahaha
Nirvanaaaaaaaaaaa lol for real
I die laughing reading this in his voice
Nihilus679 weird saying Clayton without his stache. Sheeeeeeeeiiiiiiittt!!!
wiretapppppppppppppppppp
Carver as Stringer Bell!! LOL
Maybe as Will Smith's little buddy on Fresh Prince of Bellaire, but not Stringer Bell, no.
The show was so well written and produced that if he had got the part of Stringer, you would be here saying "Idris Elba as Stringer Bell? Please."
Dave Kane Nah man carver was tiny as hell he is in no way intimidating it would be ridiculous
1337Pwn4g3 Yeah I agree with Dominic West, hahaha. That would have been like Timothy Olyphant doing the Al Swearengen role.
I don't think you're getting it. I believe what Dave Kane was saying is that if Carver had been cast as a Stringer, the entire Stringer part would've been adapted for him. It would've been a very different Stringer, and Elba would sure as hell be ridiculous for it, just as he would be ridiculous as Carver.
Prop Joe originally read for the part of Assistant State's Attorney Rhonda Pearlman.
Those late night booty calls from McNutty would have been a whole lot uglier.
@@WalterLiddy Hotter you mean?
@@WalterLiddy Joe, drunk and stumbling knocking on McNulty's door says: "Proposition for you"
And she originally read for Maury Levy.
lol
Let's just all agree that the casting on this show was incredible. Every damn role. Even Omar's meemaw hit it out of the park.
Yes, the way she took that cap in her crown on a Sunday morning was superb acting.
@@deedledumb790 .. I thought her falling down was the stronger part of her performance but reasonable people can agree to disagree.
The casting of this show was insane. Almost every casting was……110% perfect
my favourite's a meme legend even till this day which is....Clay shiiiiiiiiiiiet Davis character
@@omaewamoshindeiru616 .. I found a Clay Davis bobble head online that has a button that makes it say 'shiiiiiiiiiiiet'". I'm looking at it right now.
Really funny to see who these actors auditioned for because you can't really picture them as anyone else.
Funny, too, about Bubbles and the gum. If anybody wants a laugh, YT (I will try to get the approx. title of it) "Al Swearingen auditions".
Its Titus Welliver, who does INCREDIBLE impressions, in his full on Deadwood costume, doing a skit he wrote, where he is writer David Milch interviewing variously: Al Pacino, Chris Walken, Robert Duvall and Deniro, for the part of Al Swearingen.
Guess I reminded myself of it, beyond these auditions, by writing about the cliche bubble gum bit, as he has all these celebrities with actors studio/method acting roots wanting to put handicaps on the character, and dance, as well.
PEACE
Now thats good casting
So true. The ONLY one I could see (maybe) would be Gbenga Akinnagbe as Marlo instead of Chris. Maybe...
Marlo and Cris is so anoying, good to see now, that here they arent kill people
Not a single one 😩😂
“How’d Method Man get on the show?”
“He came in and auditioned.”
lol. Brilliant.
It's funny because that really is apparently why he got the role. A bunch of rappers had their reps reach out to the wire to get them a spot, but just wanted one with no hassle.
Method Man was the only one who showed some actual respect to the process and the production to earn a role instead of leaning on his fame.
And he did great as Cheese. Hated that character for all the right reasons.
@@arthurdurham "He was my dog... I ain't sleep since I capped his ass."
hearing Dominic West with a british accent sounds like he's faking it lmao, dude's American accent was so good
The best was when he had to pretend to be British for his undercover duty with the prostitutes. Spo' on, matey!
Agreed. His American accent is great.
His accent on the wire is actually Baltimore, not just a generic american
@@hollisfortune8791 yeah i was gonna comment the same thing “american accent” dont mind the southern accent and its twenty other variations or the typical mid western accent and ITS twenty different variations
Nahhhhh everyone in north america just sounds like bill burr
@@clawzx1195 ... lol. Yeah, Balmer definitely has it's own unique accent. Ask one of them to say "hot dog". It's more like "hat dug". I have to give props to the actors because most of them nailed it pretty good.
lol can you imagine Clay Davis as Freaoman making doll house furniture??
sheeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiit!
"are you here about thoose cats?"
That is funny right there!
You're a member of the sphinx club?!! My uncle used to tend bar there!
HAHAHAHAHAHA SHIEEEEEET
Loooool!!:))
the actor who played chris actually wouldve made an interesting marlo as well, he was just very unique in his looks and demeanor
+juvenilemafia10
Totally agree with that. He was perfect as Chris though. A guy with a warm smile, seemingly all nice and friendly.. flip the switch, and the guy just murders without blinking. To me, he was much scarier than anyone else on the show. Just seeing Marlo, Bird, etc, you could just see their type of person through how they behaved. Not so much with Chris. Was great acting by everyone on that show :)
+PlacidDragon samee opinion here. and for some reason, snoop scared me even more than chris
+juvenilemafia10 I kept thinking this the whole show. And guy who played Marlo makes a lot of sense as Chris. I can see that. But my god Carver for Bell? No no no :))
+juvenilemafia10 Hmm, I'm not sure I can agree with that... for me the most remarkable thing about Gbenga (ie Chris) is his incredibly open, happy smile, which works to chilling effect for his character as a guy for whom contract killing is basically an enjoyable way to earn a living. Marlo takes his work much more seriously; he's driven, he doesn't seem to actually enjoy much of anything.
I agree, I loved Chris he was a very sinister character and well played.
method man NAILED cheese.
He gets a lot of flak, but I honestly had no idea it was method man or that he wasn't a trained actor. He didn't do a bad job by any means. I've watched the wire a few times and even on repeated viewings I don't think there's anything wrong with his acting. The fact that he portrayed a character that's so hated might have something to do with it. No sweeter scene than when Slim shoots him.
@@MSimp2k6 As far as I know, The Wire has exactly two hip-hop cameos.
Obviously, Method Man as Cheese...but one that slipped by younger viewers is Fredro Starr (of Onyx) as Bird.
Trilmonté Slim Charles is played by Anwan Glover aka Big G of Backyard Band.
He was so fucking corny and "cheesy" lol.
Nah, Slim Charles nailed cheese!
I half expected Andre Royo to say "McNutty"
Me too! I just knew he was going to blurb that out. Total professional.
The best accident in all of television.
I felt a little let down that he didn't
Snoop: "Yeah, so I originally auditioned for the part of Rhonda"
Zach Severn 😂😂😂😂
lmaaaaaoooo😭
Lmfao 🤣
"Y'remembuh how y'said y'hoped todae'll be yo first "have yo cake 'n ea' it" dae?"
I laughed hard at this 😂 @@yoh002
Marlo is scary even in reality lol
+XpichoX2 I think he's still in his character though.... Method acting maybe?
I wonder if Method man was method acting
I wonder if Jamie Hector is that stoic in real life. I genuinely aspire to attain that level of emotional neutrality in Marlo's character.
Trilmonté you should seek help my dude..
Trilmonté same here not to sound weird but i watch marlos scenes so much that im trying to learn that energy
Daniels as Bubbles and Carver as Stringes are two of craziest options xD
I think Daniels actor could actually play a pretty good dope fiend. He’s kinda skinny already, dress him up right and he’d look like one
@@nickparsons1028 skinny??
@@nickparsons1028 lance reddick was swole when he was playing his role bruh.
@@ndot3886 Swole but lean. Low body fat.
redvenomweb Thats not what swole means. Swole means big and lean. He was just lean.
Imagine Lance Reddick as Bubbles! Ha, can't see him as anything other than badass Daniels.
Your avi is hilarious omg 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Haha thanks, I loved Wee Bey's reaction in that scene! :)
lmao me too!!!
word. what episode is that? thats when they find out they shot kima, what episode is that...? remind me please
ilya Kozlov Yeah! It is episode 11 of season 1 when Stringer and him are talking about the shooting. great scene!
Mcnulty's British?!! Wow he did a great job
you can hear his and stringer's (he's british too) accent slip every now and then in the show
*mindblown*
The funny part is when McNulty gets the job to pretend to be English. An Englishman pretending to be an American pretending to be an Englishman. Spot on!
phorest I can't remember which episode, but when McNulty is at the bar (I think with Cedric) talking about "going down to ocean" his accent slips through really bad.
None yeah, that's probably the worst one lol.
Damn man the casting team of the wire deserves all the praise they can get.
Every actor was great in their roles. Even the small characters were amazing.
Casting team nailed it. Esp since some actors auditioned for other characters. In the end they got the perfect fit. Did anyone else audition for OMAR ?
@@micverno maybe idk, but I did hear that michael williams got the part in a single audition. We know the rest.😇
Everybody involved in any part of this show deserves all the praise they can get.
alexa fogel is the goat
LOL DANIELS AS BUBBLES
No way in HELL he would have pulled that one off. LOL
Baltimorehop actually he might've been able to, he played a cop who turned into a druggie in Oz so it's possible.
Carver as Stringer Bell though? that's probably the most ridiculous one lol.
phorest
I agree. Daniels could have pulled off Bubbles (funny if it had been the other way around, no fucking way!) Chris as Marlo might have worked, huh?
Well he played a cop turned crackhead in Oz, I could see him as bubbles.
phorest I'd have to agree, bubs was a better choice in the end though.
"Don't look at the camera, don't look at the camera" And yet he ended up looking at the camera.
*Pauses and zooms in, forever immortalizing his mistake.*
worst actor ever hahaha
@@marover Bro, how stupid are you😂😂😂? Is your mom also your aunt or something?.
@@elbiolao9843 thee worst actor ever for sure.
Carver as Stringer Bell lol
They didn't show Avon or Stringer bell nailed it
Guy that played Chris was much, much scarier than Snoop, who was a real ex-con. They were both amazing.
It's the eyes. Both Chris and Wee-Bay had that same look in the eyes, scary shit.
Chris was scary snoop was more like a dont mess with me attidue rather than like terrifying
Snoop is a ex con too
Golden Pearl that’s what they’re saying
StayEarthly you right I read it over
For some reason it made me feel good to see Dukie happy in this vid, even if the actor was out of character.
"Now where my cheese at, man?"
Cheese in a line.
thank God everybody got the roles they ended up playing and not the ones they auditioned for.
They are too actors. I believe it would have been okay...maybe
1:51 Fat John Cena aka Landsman is the most underrated character love that guy
just finished it for the first time. now im on here watching everything i couldnt before because of spoilers and whatnot.
Kieran Maharaj I do the exact same thing every time I finish any show. It's a great feeling.
it really is. the show ends but you can continue spending time in the world
Kieran Maharaj especially when there's tons of interviews and even cast reunions, actually watching an arrested development documentary right now lol
its awesome with the wire because a lot of the main players were heavy criminals(marlo, stringer, avon, omar) so to see them out of character is mind blowing
+Ignacio Varga
Landsman always looked like a fat John Cena to me 😂 that image will never leave my head
Jamie Hector's Marlo was so good that 10 years later I was still a little bit scared when Hector appeared on screen as himself to talk about the show.
Wtf Marlo as Cutty ... and Slim as anyone other than Slim???
Cutty supposedly spent 14 years in prison, right? Marlo would have been 12 at the time haha. Slim will be Slim for ever!
yeah slim with his competence and authority needs exactly that actor with deep rough voice and shit.
+sanoban If I remember right they re-wrote the part of Cutty to fit with the older actor. I think he was supposed to be younger at first.
Giradox
Thanks, yeah it makes sense
Ironically Jamie was playing a Cutty like character in the first role i saw him in lol
Jay Landsman: Auditions to play himself
Director: Sorry you didn't get the role
Jay Landsman: Am I a joke to you
The real Jay Landsman did actually end up on the show as Lt Dennis Mello.
Looking at people who could have played other parts. It's amazing the way some characters make a role there's so that anyone else playing it would just be wrong
+Paul Ward I keep thinking the guy playing Chris should have been Marlo.
The only change that I can imagine possible would be Chris as Marlo. The show had the perfect cast.
Amazing how so many of them got the role that they didn't auditioned for originally, just a great job from the Casting directors.
I watch the whole series every couple of years. Each time I do so, i appreciate the series more and more. It's like an old friend I visit with. Thank you David Simon and cast.
I can't imagine any of these actors being anyone else than who they played.. The writing, the castings, and the actors, were so incredible.. I have never seen a series that felt so real
Finished watching The Wire for the first time on Friday (11/26/21). My son had literally been begging me to watch the show for over ten years! The writing and character development of the show was off the charts. Can’t even wrap my head around different actors playing other roles. I’m going to watch the series again in the new year!💯
Make sure you thank your son 😉
It just gets better and better with every rewatch.
you got a great son
I think Reg E. Cathey would've been a decent Freamon. He's got that smooooth factor :P
Jamie Hector still in character 😂😂😂
I just realized that the real Jay Landsman was the Lieutenant under Major Colvin who ended up replacing Major Colvin at the end of season 3.
I can definitely see the actor who played Chris playing Marlo and he’d have probably been brilliant, but his performance as Chris was amazing, one of the best performances of the entire series imo, he’s one of the most unsettling villains I’ve seen in film or television
He was like that friendly dude who is also a ruthless killer
Carver would have been so bad as Stringer, oh my days
Oh my god the actor for Chris seems so nice, his energy is crazy different! What a good actor!
his wikipedia pic is of his BIG fuckin smile
I would give everything I own plus everything my best friend owns (without his knowledge) for the Creators of the Wire to get everyone from the show back together and do an just one episode from the show with all of the actors playing the roles they originally auditioned for. Especially an episode that focused on Stringer/Avon and Bubbles. Can you guys fucking imagine watching an intense episode of The Wire with everyone playing the roles they said they auditioned for in the videos? I think it would make my fucking head explode!
Well, at least we got five seasons. And it was remastered in HD recently. But yeah, I would give my left nut to see this show again.
tankmaster1018 which episode?
*****
He meant a new episode.
k4nc3r ohhhh, my bad
***** haha actually I meant an old episode. A new episode with all of them playing the original characters would be strange because you wouldn't know what was supposed to happen or how the characters would react to a new situation so it would just come off odd. What would blow my mind is all of them in the spots they auditioned for in an episode where we already know what happened. Im saying imagine seeing Lance Riddock play Bubbles for example in the episode after he accidentally kills that kid with the heroin cut with cyanide! It would be insane to see him in those scenes. Imagine the episode with Stringer and Avon giving each other up... Hell there are a lot of episodes that would be amazing to see the cast all flipped around.
23 years later, I feel privileged so to have seen this show in my lifetime.
too much fucking talent. TOO MUCH FUCKING TALENT.
Burrell: 'I originally auditioned for the role of Wallis' lol
"When I went in to read for Bubbles everyone was chewing bubble gum."
lmfaoooooooooooo! I had to pause the video I was laughing so hard. Oh man, too good.
Dominic is so right about Gilliam being Stringer lmao...tough to imagine anyone playing that character any better.
Even the way they moved around the actors into their actual roles was a masterpiece
now i know what they meant when they kept talking about Mcnultys dubious Irish heritage
the actor dominic west actually has irish roots.
The fact that the actor who played Slim was auditioning for Marlo shows you how far they had the show planned out. They must've written all five seasons at once
Not really. Slim and Marlo were both introduced in Season 3.
I was raised on The Wire in the Rocky Mountains, but it wasn't until I lived in D.C. that I came to appreciate more of its nuances. Simon's an anthropologist at heart, and the value of The Wire and Treme (especially) is that each character is developed according to a totally believable set of background circumstances. The same is true of The Sopranos. That kind of quality is only achieved by long-ass hours of research, which is why shit shows (literally) on Showtime and Starz like Homeland and Boss will always be a farce for pseudo-enthusiasts --network TV doesn't even enter into the equation. Literature is dead for print, but those creative minds keep coming in the form of a few select series. The Sopranos and The Wire introduced a whole new sense of realism, which Treme has nearly mastered. The only setback to the future progress of great series is the same setback that has doomed creativity for eternity: viewers. It is our opinions that pollute the airwaves with cliche bullshit, as the networks like the writer's name recognition, but ultimately only care about dollars and nonsense. Maybe if we could somehow gather more artists and less critics, this paradigm would shift, but until then, please let us show some respect to those who have enough talent and balls to exercise artistry in this growing era of pathetic cell-phone-keyboard critics.
The Sopranos was amazing (my number #2), but I don't think it had the same possibilities of the wire. There were quite a few long-running arcs in the Sopranos (Chrissy's struggle with addiction, Pussy being a rat, Tony's subtle changes over the years), but it mostly felt like the die was cast -- none of the primary characters had a fundamental change in their outlook. Tony became more and more entrenched, selfish and paranoid. While these stories were all great, nuanced and superbly acted, it felt like whatever would be would be.
The Wire felt more organic and alive. While there were plenty of 'static' characters (in that they did not developer much, if at all as a result of their experiences), they also served as a reference point for just how much others changed.
Examples:
- Herc & Carver - they're practically indistinguishable from one another at the start, but are entirely different people by the end. Why? Colvin. One of the few uppers who wasn't chasing stats managed to make a real policeman of Carver.
- Carcetti - idealistic and keen to do the right thing, but once under pressure, quickly reverts to the type of behaviour he railed against so he can continue his rise through the party.
- All of the kids. Almost literally all of them. Good kids that are intelligent and caring become cold and hard through necessity. I'm sure most parents would be overjoyed to have a kid like Mike (looks out for his friends, is basically a parent to his brother) Randy (empathetic, whip smart) or Dukie (an amazingly well-rounded guy considering his upbringing), but they're all lost because of their environment. All of these kids have somebody looking out for them (Miss Ella, Carver, Prezbo, Cutty) but it's not enough to save them. They're all better adjusted than Namond, who does make it thanks to an outside intervention.
When you're watching, it's totally unclear how things will play out. All you can do is cross your fingers.
Okay old head
I love how basically all the black characters went for Lesters' character. Just shows how awesome his character is.
I really can't imagine any of these actors as someone other than their parts. That's when you know you've got a great show. All the pieces matter.
The casting is simply perfect. Cathey could do Freamon however and vice versa.
I just finished watching the last episode. I love the wire. fantastic! Omar was my favourite and I love how Gus at the Sun brushed off Omar's death to make space for other stories. great writing and perfect casting
Dominic West looks and sounds like a British politician who ends up on an MTV talk show and talks about his favourite rap music and gets all posh about it lol
Is crazy that the guys who played Zorzi and Chris Partlow actually made appearances early on in the show as extras
The only thing I would change probably is to see the guy who played Chris play Marlo. He was brilliant
When the guy who plays Chris said he auditioned for Marlo for a second I was like, “yeah I could see that.” Then they cut to Jamie Hector and I was like nah never mind lmao
I could see Reg Cathy as Freamon, other then that this would have flopped if they all got their original parts lol.
You said it all. Cathy is more comical than Clarke Peters aka Lester Freemon but what really made Freemon's character was his methodical approach to the crimes in the show. Whether Cathy could have pulled that off remains to be seen. I totally agree with you on if those characters would have been switched around. Oh brother! LOL
The only other actor I can imagine as Lester is a younger Morgan Freeman.... I can just hear him saying "and four months..."
Best TV series ever made. Every episode, every season. All thrillers no fillers.
Season 5 is questionable lol but first 4 are gold
Lol kiddo it's not the best. Shows how little you've seen. You have no clue
Detective Daniels as bubbles would of been hilarious
McNutty. My office.
True
Nah, he played junkie cop in oz
He played a Baltimore junkie in The Corner.
Every single actor and their casting were perfect for the Wire. What an amazing group of actors.
I hope in a few years, when deep fake technology is easier to do, someone will re-edit the whole of The Wire with who they originally went to auditioned for.
It’d be like living in alternate universe.
The cast did such an amazing job it's impossible to imagine any of the actors playing any other role in the show.
goodness, I love this fucking show
So hard to imagine any of them playing any other character on the show. Every member of that cast is iconic.
I really like that they didn't just let the actors go when they weren't right for the initial characters they auditioned for, but actually found the right role for each actor on the show.
Really cool way of doing it.
Its crazy they all auditioned for different parts but got different parts and they all fit absolutely perfectly
Yea whoever directed the casting is a genius. Everyone really fits into their roles so well.
Just imagined if these guys actually got the part they originally auditioned for. Imagine the guy who played Chris as Marlo & the guy who played Marlo as Cutty.
Can't. Each actor plays the character differently, it's not only the physical appearance.
Lamar Washington I still can't get over the fact that Lieutenant Daniels almost got bubbles
Don't Know he played an undercover in the show oz who gets addicted to heroin.
Marlo doesn’t even look old enough to do a 14 year bid unless part of that was in juvy/youth offender program lol
Everything just dovetailed into brilliance in every episode of this epic show!👏👏👏
GREAT drum machine in the background! Really makes the interviews all worthwhile!
Seeing Chris Partlow acting so friendly here is so weird
The GREATEST show EVER to come out of America. The writing is genius. So ADDICTIVE. The casting is spot on. Every single character in all five seasons is so believable. The Wire is how you make entertainment. Nothing but Nothing comes near The Wire. FanBloodyTastic
The Sopranos comes real close. But it's still not better than The Wire. Anyone who skips over this entire series is missing out.
These actors were so great in their roles its hard to imagine them being anyone else.
chris as a cop lmao
Yeah, Chris as a cop would have been a total waste of talent!
Laughed my ass off about Carver getting Stringer. It would've been better if Herc followed it saying he'd auditioned for Avon Barksdale. Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine Herc and Carver play Avon and Stringer, this could have easily turned into a sitcom then.
So many masterfully performances in one show
The brilliance of this show from the writing to the casting director and to the acting of relative unknowns is unparalleled .
Daniels as Bubbles ?! No way😂
I can only see Chris as Marlo.
Looking back at the show, I can’t even imagine any of these actors in a different role from what they’ve done in the show.
I mean, Carver’s actor as Stringer Bell?!
Lance Reddick as Bubbles?!
strange how all these actors were virtually unknown but in the atmosphere of the show the performances are uncanny and soo believable even the way they look
What a tremendous achievement by HBO and the production team. I recently re-watched all 5 seasons sequentially - and I was transfixed by the acting chops, the directorial excellence, and of course, the writing prowess. Although the show has a LOT of violence, it is mitigated by the nuanced storylines, and the clever editing to keep you attuned to many plots all at the same time. Not to mention the actors able to do American accents seamlessly. I used to think "Breaking Bad" and "The Sopranos" were the 'best tv series ever' and The Wire is at home in their rarified company, no doubt. It's amazing how cheap life is on those mean Baltimore streets. The stupidity and greed of the drug dealers, combined with the petty politics of the mayor's office and police brass bring charisma and color to each episode. Attorney Levy is masterful, and Houk as his "investigator" is priceless in the final season.
What breaks me is there will never ever be a show this good...ever..
I can't say ever, but it will be awhile.
Don't be silly. Maybe on American tv. There were better shows than the Wire made in Europe, British or Scandinavian for example.
@@marcinb4647 Nonsense.
@@marcinb4647 ahhh... no
Jay Landsman never had the makings of a varsity athlete
Dude that played Chris having a role as cop in the background is awesome
"Don't look at the camera! Don't look at the camera!" *Looks at camera* Y O U H A D O N E J O B
Infernocanuck 😂😂😂
Marlo is a black eminem.
Jarryd S
You must be joking.
How so?
The casting director made some tough calls but man did it work out. I can’t even imagine it any differently
Lance Reddick as Bubbles LMAOOO.
"gentlment, could I interest you fly fellows into a hat"
For many episodes I believed that Snoop was a boy!
+chri2453 Me too! :-)
I didn't know she was a girl until the very last scene when Michael calls her a girl before shooting her.
I'm tripping thinking did i always knew she was a girl or did i find out later on. I can't piece it together
Me too
WTF, Marlo literally calls her "girl" in her first real scene and she's referred to as a girl a bunch of times after that.
LOL So Chris was a police
So was Marlo, in season 1 he's an FBI agent !
Really? what episode?
natural po-lice
@@shakir1998 I'd love if you had a timestamp or which part of the episode. looking for an extra in an hour film is like looking for a needle in a haystack lol
Must see this show. MUST SEE ! It is amazing.
Sublime cast on a sublime show ..for real
I think Jamie Hector is amazing
The guy who played Chris playing Marlo would actually have been interesting, plus Reg Cathey would probably have been a good Freamon.
The others, not so much.
Reg E Cathy i think could've nailed a few different characters. Freamon, Clay Davis, Daniels. He was a very underrated actor.
Greatest show ever, flawlessly cast.
Perfect casting across the board!
I still can't believe McNulty's British. Between him and Dr. House... how can British people have such a believable American accent?
lol meths part is hilarious dude is straight up and i love that shit