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Wendell Pierce Biography

Birth Name:Wendell Pierce

Birth Place:New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Profession Actor, Producer, Soundtrack

Fast Facts

Founded the non-profit Pontchartrain Park Community Development Corp․ to build affordable solar and geothermal homes for victims of Hurricane Katrina
Won the 2008 NAACP Image Award for best actor in a television drama for his role as Slick in HBO's "Life Support․"
Was the Presidential Scholar of the Arts at the New Orleans Centre for Creative Arts
Won a Los Angeles Film Festival Audience Award for best performance in a narrative for "Four" in 2012
Graduated from the New Orleans Centre for Creative Arts and the Juilliard School of Drama
Made his screen acting debut as a paramedic in the film "The Money Pit" in 1986
Quote: "[on his home town of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina] "When the entire world is destroyed, and you realize you're just a moment away from losing everything, then you see the ugly side of human nature․""
Best known for playing Detective William "Bunk" Moreland in "The Wire" and Antoine Batiste in "Treme․"
Hosts "Jazz at Lincoln Center," a Peabody Award-winning radio program featuring live recordings from Jazz at Lincoln Center's House of Swing

Awards

2004Image Award-Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
2007Image Award-Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
2008Image Award-Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: winner
2011Vision Award-Best Performance - Drama: nominated
2011Satellite Award-Best Actor in a Series, Drama: nominated
2012Image Award-Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
2012Jury Prize-Outstanding Performance: winner
2013Independent Spirit Award-Best Male Lead: nominated
2013Image Award-Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
2014BFCC Award-Best Ensemble: winner
2014Image Award-Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
2014SDFCS Award-Best Ensemble: nominated
2014WAFCA Award-Best Acting Ensemble: nominated
2015Black Reel-Outstanding Supporting Actor, Motion Picture: winner
2015GAFCA Award-Best Ensemble: nominated
2015Image Award-Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: nominated
2017Black Reel-Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series: nominated
2017Satellite Award-Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television: nominated
2019Audience Award-: nominated
2019Image Award-Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
2019Satellite Award-Best Actor in a Supporting Role: nominated
2019Best Actor-U.S. Narrative Feature: winner
2020Black Reel-Outstanding Independent Feature: nominated
2020Independent Spirit Award-Best Supporting Male: nominated
2020John Cassavetes Award-: nominated
2020Image Award-Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
2023Image Award-Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special: nominated
2024AAFCA Award-Best Actor: winner
2024Astra TV Award-Best Supporting Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Limited Series or TV Movie: nominated
2024Black Reel-Outstanding Guest Performance in a Drama Series: nominated
2024Actor Award for Television-Black Cinema & Television: winner
2024Image Award-Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: nominated
2026Image Award-Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: nominated