Wendell Pierce

Q: It’s nice to see Wendell Pierce back on TV regularly in “Elsbeth.” I also enjoyed him on “The Wire,” but hasn’t he done other series as well?

A: He certainly has. Most recently before CBS’s and Paramount+’s “Elsbeth,” the actor was a regular on Prime Video’s “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” and BBC America’s “The Watch,” and he also had a recurring part in the third season of “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” on Starz. Prior to that, he also was a recurring player on USA Network’s “Suits” and “Unsolved,” NBC’s “Chicago P.D.” and “Third Watch,” Showtime’s “Ray Donovan,” the syndicated “Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne,” Earlier, Pierce had regular roles on several other series … and some of them were sitcoms, though he has been known primarily for dramatic work in recent times. The comedies included CBS’s “The Odd Couple” remake, “The Brian Benben Show” and “The Gregory Hines Show,” and NBC’s “The Michael J. Fox Show” and “The Weber Show.” HBO’s “Treme” – for which Pierce received particular notice from television critics – also featured him regularly, as did CBS’s “Numb3rs” and “Moloney,” and ABC’s “Capital News.” Additionally, Pierce has done prominent parts in made-for-TV movies. He played Clarence Thomas in HBO’s “Confirmation” and Coach Calhoun in the Fox staging of “Grease Live!,” and he has scores of one-shot guest roles in other series to his credit. On stage in recent years, Pierce had major critical and popular success as Willy Loman in a revival of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” both on Broadway and in London, earning award nominations in both places for his performance. (He won a Tony Award in 2012 for the play “Clybourne

Park.”)