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The Normies

The Boys of Summer – What are The Wire’s kids up to now?!

January 7, 2022

The Wire became The Normies’ favorite reaction series very quickly. With stellar characters, storytelling, and careful examination of the American public sector, crime, drug war, education, misinformation and other societal vices, we knew we were in for a treat. We did not need the Rotten Tomatoes’ affirmation, but it was regardless nice to see that The Wire received stellar ratings – with two seasons making it all the way to the 100% club!

Season’s 4 and 5’s very young cast got us wondering – what are they up to now?! Has The Wire catapulted their early careers into absolute star domination?! Well… we could not answer these pressing questions without further research, and that already means that no, stardom most likely did not occur. But that does not means our boys – Randy, Mike, Dukie and Namond aren’t thriving! Let us take you down this memory lane and update you on the latest in the lives of The Wire Kids!

Dukie, played by Jermaine Crawford

Jermaine Crawford is now 30 years old! Just like most of the Normies, lol. He was a native in the series – born in Maryland, but now he is based in LA. As Dukie, he enchanted our hearts, and as Jermaine, he sings a lot about collecting them (his words / lyrics, not ours). Did we say… music?

Indeed, Jermaine decided to pivot in his career and focus on music. He has a fresh EP on his youtube channel. You guys should definitely check him out there! 

If you’re interested in seeing Jermaine in more TV, look for him in Person of Interest, The Get Down (that cancellation hurt, man), the movie Roxanne Roxanne, or The Unusuals. He is currently working on two mini series that will be coming out next year.

Namond, played by Julito McCullum

Fun fact – Julito appeared in a Ludacris music video before he was casted for the Wire. He also danced for Alicia Keys and Missy Elliott!

He appeared in episodes of Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, True Bloods and other smaller TV shows. He also played in movies alongside Jennifer Hudson, Keke Palmer, Common and Dakota Fanning.

He is a 30 year old Brooklyn Native, and his linktree will take you to his podcast on different platforms. His movie “God Bless You,” which he wrote, produced and starred in, garnered millions of views on YouTube. It’s a pretty good watch! If you happen to be in Brooklyn, look for DJ Julito and see if you can catch any of his sets!

Randy, played by Maestro Harrell

Maestro Harrell’s portrayal of Randy opened up a lot of different opportunities for him. You can see him in Suburgatory, House of Lies, Fear of The Walking Dead, or Teen Titans GO! To The Movies.

And just like Julito’s appearances in music videos, we managed to spot Maestro in Nelly’s music video “Stepped on my J’s”.

Similarly to Jermaine Crawford, Maestro focused on music over acting and became a DJ, singer, rapper, and ED

Mike, played by Tristan Wilds

Tristan Wilds stayed B.U.S.Y. Even while the recording for The Wire was ongoing, he starred with Donut (Nathan Corbett) next to Ryan Gosling in an indie film Half Nelson. He appeared in The Secret Life of Bees alongside Dakota Fanning and Alicia Keys shortly after The Wire was completed. You can also spot him in the Lucas Film, Red Tails and in the TV drama 90210. In Shots Fired, you can watch Tristan in a cop uniform which is kind of trippy if you’re still watching the Wire!

Outside of acting, Tristan has also worked on his musical endeavors under the pseudonym Mack Wilds. His debut album, New York: A Love Story was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the Grammy’s in 2014. He was featured in Jay Z’s music video Roc Boys as Jay Z’s nephew, leading some people to assume that Jay Z and Wilds are actually related, but those rumours are unfounded. Another music video where you can spot Tristan is in Adele’s Hello as her love interest. 

Tristan became a father as last year! You can read more about his life and how his baby daughter changed his life in this Essence article!

Kenard, played by Thuliso Dingwall

Now about our least favorite murderer, Kenard. Thuliso Dingwall was one of the youngest cast members on The Wire, giving the character his spunk, tenacity and recklessness. Thuliso’s parents almost rejected the role after reading the script due to the cussing and violent scenes. After their change of heart, they were actively involved on set, making sure that their son understood the nuances of who Kenard was, and how the environment of children like Kenard affects their quality of life. The murder of Omar hitThuliso especially hard and made him cry.

Thuliso had appearances in other shows such as Law and Order and Person of Interest, but also focused on music. Music for Water competition, where he received second place, opened his eyes to how serious the water shortage is, realizing the need for clean water is worldwide. He joined the board of the organization and continues to support and raise funds for underserved communities.  

This wraps up the fates of The Boys of Summer. Watch our video essay to find out more interesting facts about other Wire cast, such as Felicia Pearson or Nathan Corbett, and learn about upcoming miniseries We Own This City, featuring our beloved actors!


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