Now and Then

Idris Elba and More Stars of ‘The Wire’: Where Are They Now? (PHOTOS)

HBO’s The Wire made names like McNulty, Bubbles, and Avon Barksdale synonymous with Baltimore. The epic drama touched on all aspects of the drug slinging game, revealing that everyone—including dealers, addicts, politicians, and detectives—moved their own agendas forward at all costs. This seminal and critically acclaimed show unfolded like a great Shakespearean play and all the characters teetered on the line of the morally ambiguous. The closest connection fans have had to the drama since it ended in 2008 was Funny or Die’s hilarious vision of The Wire as a musical, starring some of the original cast-members last year.

Now 11 years after the series premiere of The Wire, Jean Trinh rounds up some favorite cast members and finds out what they’ve been up to since the end of one of the most moving and powerful shows on television.