Essence

Essence.com: Alright, so this is the last season of [HBO's] The Wire...you have to tell me something! Let's start with your character, Michael Lee.
Tristan Wilds: Michael Lee is basically coming into his own. He's still that kid who's lost inside of himself because he still has to be an adult for his little brother, be the father for his little brother, and provide for his little brother...nobody else can.

Essence.com: So, are you going to tell me anything about the plot?!
T.W.: [sighs and pauses] I can tell you that it's going to be a crazy season! [laughs]

Essence.com: That's not the answer I was looking for, but I'm determined to get something out of you. But anyway, so tell me how you feel about the show ending just as you're getting started...it's season five.
T.W.: Actually, it's bittersweet. It felt good because it's like, "Alright, now we can build on to bigger and better things," but then again, even though I was only there for one year [two seasons], I built up a family with everybody there. It's like, "I don't want to leave you guys," like Andre [Royo], Jamie [Hector], Gbenga [Akinnagbe] – everybody. I didn't want to leave nobody, so it was kind of hard.

Essence.com: Let's talk about the first things you did before you did The Wire. I read that you've done industrials?
T.W.: Yes, as you said, the first thing that I've ever done was sort of like an industrial film, sort of like for the schools, you know, for the kids – "no tattle-telling on each other, no snitching and no name calling." Then, after that, I did some plays and stuff – off Broadway. And then I got on Miracle's Boys with Julito McCullum, who plays Namond on The Wire. I played a bully. [laughs] His name was A.J. I played a bully in the school that Julito's character was trying to get nice with, to look cool in front of a girl.

Essence.com: When did you know you wanted to be an actor?
T.W.: Since I was about...real young, like about four or five. I saw my older brother acting and I was always like, "You know what, I want to do that, too. I want to be on TV, Ma." So, it came from there.

Essence.com: Tell me about the journey to getting to do what you want to do. It seems easy from the outside looking in...
T.W.: Well...you know, it started off just regular, in school, doing school plays here and there. All my teachers were like, "Oh, you're really a good actor." I didn't believe them. My biggest play, I think, I was in 8th grade, 9th grade and I played Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream. I loved that role. Everybody was like, "You really did a really good job," and I was like, "Ah, I did alright." [laughs]

Essence.com: You grew up in Staten Island, right? Are you still in Staten Island?
T.W.: Yes ma'am. Yes, still in Staten Island with my family. I will probably stay out there, it's where I'm from, so...

Essence.com: You graduated from high school this year, Class of '07. And I read that you want to go to NYU—any plans to go right now?
T.W.: I still, definitely, want to go to school, but right now, I'm just looking at my acting career and trying to see where it takes me.

Essence.com: What else are you working on now that filming for The Wire is over?
T.W.: I just got the part in the movie adaptation of the book, The Secret Life of Bees with Dakota Fanning and Alfre Woodard. I'm playing Zach. I start in February.

Essence.com: Aren't you doing more TV stuff now, too? Aren't you filming something?
T.W.: Oh yeah, I just got finished filming Law & Order.

Essence.com: And what's Indelible?
T.W.: Indelible was an independent film that I shot last year...I think it was right before I started shooting The Wire, actually. It should be out 2008. Roger Guenevere Smith is in it with me...there are lot of big names in there. In the story, I play a kid named Adrian and basically, there's a doctor – the doctor is a lady – and she's doing this big research on a disease that killed her husband and now she's afraid that her son has the disease, too. He starts to show the symptoms of it and...well, I'm not going to tell you the end of the movie, but it's a real nice movie and you get to see how deep a family can get.

Essence.com: And I hear you're also doing music?
T.W.: I'm working on an album, singing. I spit a little bit, but not much. But I definitely do write. I'm just seeing how this goes and see where it takes me.

Essence.com: Ok, let's shift gears a bit. What are some of your pet peeves that drive you up the wall?
T.W.: Oh man, me and my friend were talking about this yesterday – girls with weaves and like flaunting it. Like, I understand if you're going to wear a weave...like, you can act like you're fly and all of that, but just don't flaunt...[jestures swinging flowing hair]. No, please, don't. That's irritating! [laughs]

Essence.com: That's interesting. I've never heard a guy say that.
T.W.: Like, I don't know what it is, but I just like a natural girl, straight natural – hair, whether it's short or long, it doesn't matter. If it's yours, it's yours.

Essence.com: And tell me, what is something that you can't live without.
T.W.: My music. Whether it's my music or anybody else's music – Trey Songz, Chris Brown, ah, Rihanna [laughs]. It's just something about music, it just sets the mood, whether it's a happy mood or a sad mood, I just love my music.

Essence.com: Who else are you listening to? Anybody older than you?
T.W.: Of course! Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Al B. Sure...don't get me started.

Essence.com: So, how old are you now?
T.W.: I'm 18.

Essence.com: At 18, do you have any words of wisdom that you would tell to your younger self?
T.W.: I'd probably tell myself to not follow others because when I was younger, I was always trying to be somebody else, always. Always coming out trying to look somebody else, trying to be like somebody else – all the time. So, I think if I was to talk to my younger self today, I would be like, "Just follow your own...make your own path."

Essence.com: So, if you could write the rest of the Tristan Wilds story, how would you like for it to unfold?
T.W.: I want to be an influence to everybody, not to just kids in America. I want to be an influence to everyone around the world– whether it's my music or my acting, my skills, what I do, my roles. I want people to learn from what I do and be influenced by it in some way.

Essence.com: Oh, wait, there is something that I think people don't know about you...aren't you Dominican?
T.W.: Oh, yes, yes. My mom is Dominican and my dad is Black.

Essence.com: So, tell me about that.... collard greens and plantains?
T.W.: Yeah, basically. [laughs] Collard greens one night, arroz con pollo another night. It's fun – you get fat! [laughs]

Essence.com: So back to The Wire: can you at least tell me how your friends do on the show? Like, is Dukie going to be OK?
T.W.: He's still living with me.

Essence.com: But you're doing bad things!
T.W.: [silence]

Essence.com: OK, fine. I've pulled some information out of you, but not nearly enough!
T.W.: [laughs]