Melvin Jackson, Jr. | Down to the Wire!
By Jennifer Bisram
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"Some people may say the show is too much, too much violence, but it's what some people in Baltimore go through," says Melvin Jackson Jr. who plays Bernard on HBO's The Wire. "People shooting, people killing, it's not all peaches and cream."
According to Jackson, the show is a cry for help, among other things!
Bernard's character is rather interesting. He is not a drug dealer, though he is on the streets. He sells an underground technological device that prohibits tracking, specifically from the police. He enjoys his role, but he is happier to be a part of the show because a lot of it comes from real life scenarios.
It's true in every show or film that everyone brings their own personality to the cast, but Jackson says the two funniest guys on the set are Clarke Peters (plays Detective Lester Freamon) and Wendell Pierce (plays Detective William "Bunk" Moreland). "Together, they keep everyone on their feet," he says of the two.
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The 24-year-old has been with The Wire since the first season (2002), but did not always play Bernard. He came aboard as an extra with hopes to further his acting career and in the shows' third season got the role of Bernard after auditioning.
Jackson is not only an actor, he is a writer, and a rapper!
He has written a movie called "When the Shoe is on the Other Foot," which is about "a man going through what women go through everyday" and he is finishing up writing another movie, "The Game Done Changed," a story about the bond of two brothers.
As for his rap game, he goes by the name J. Reed and makes catchy and non-violent music (like Will Smith). Nelly is his favorite artist because "he just came and changed the game."
Going back to Will Smith, Jackson aspires to be a combination of Will Smith and Denzel Washington - "Will on the comedic scale for his charisma and Denzel on the dramatic scale for his passion."
Jackson graduated this year from Bowie State University in Maryland with a B.A. in Fine Arts. "This industry is not bigger than education, it works hand and hand," he said referring to why he continued his education, in spite of his already successful career.
Jackson insists that he doesn't want to be remembered as just another actor, he wants to bring his own style on and off the screen. He wants people to say "wow" when they hear his name. "I want to become a household name," he said.
When Velvet Addiction asked Jackson if there was anything else he had to say, he said, "Yes. See my vision, because it's just the beginning."
The Wire will begin its fourth season in September.
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