From a ‘Rim’ shot to ‘Hoop Dreams’

If you’re a living, breathing human, you are a fan of “The Wire.” That means you are a fan of my “Renaissance Man” guest, actor Wood Harris, who played ruthless drug kingpin Avon Barksdale on the iconic show. (Rest in Peace, Michael K. Williams.) But, ironically, Wood, who also played a cocaine slinger in “Paid in Full,” launched his acting career with a more wholesome anti-drug pursuit. He landed his first acting gig at age 19, with skits meant to discourage drug use. His audience was corporations hoping to send a positive public-service message to employees. It was lucrative, and for a young man from the hard streets of Chicago, the gig provided focus for Wood.

“I made $900 a rip,” he told me. “And I would do that like twice a week, three times a week. And it was 45 minutes.”

His first movie role was in 1994’s “Above the Rim,” which as far as I am concerned is like winning a title and Finals MVP during your rookie season, a la Magic Johnson. While making that classic, he learned from the great Tupac Shakur.

“[When] I met Tupac, I didn’t meet the superstar dude. I met the young actor, rapper. We would sit around and rap,” Wood said. “He was very intelligent and very smart . . . He brought John Singleton on set; [they’d made] ‘Poetic Justice.’

“Every morning, he’d have fans, he’d have women lined up outside the trailer,” Wood said.