Wood Harris on The Wire, Above the Rim & Feeling Pressure Acting With Denzel Washington

7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony

Wave

Sports, Music, Basketball, Society & Culture

4.8 • 567 Ratings

🗓️ 23 February 2026

⏱️ 74 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Wood Harris sits down with Carmelo Anthony and Kazeem Famuyide for a conversation that moves between basketball, acting and the discipline behind both. He breaks down how he really landed Motaw in Above the Rim, why hooping separated him from other actors and what it was like filming The Wire in Baltimore at a time when the city felt exactly like the show. Wood reflects on stepping onto set with Denzel Washington for the first time, feeling the pressure in that moment and why he believes sports is more honest than acting. He talks about Tupac’s presence during Above the Rim, playing Spencer Haywood in Winning Time and the mindset that carried him from the west side of Chicago to a 30-year career. Wood also opens up about being kicked out of NYU, nearly losing everything and the turning point that forced him to bet on himself. This is a rare look at the competitor behind the characters and the perspective that shaped one of the most consistent careers in black cinema. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	300 years of expertise in every twining sleep blend.
0:06.0	100 hours of craft in every cup.
0:10.0	Eight natural ingredients in every sip.
0:14.0	One night of winding down in every drop.
0:18.0	Your moment of serenity.
0:23.8	Brought to you by twining sleep.
0:27.8	Twinings. Alive in every drop.
0:31.1	I'm just competitive, dog.
0:35.6	So if I was a basketball player and I was analyzing mellow, I'd be trying to beat mellow.
0:36.4	Acting is different.
0:37.5	It ain't the type where you, like, it's not like, you shouldn't compete in a scene. That's why basketball is thorough, because you can't say he didn't get 25 points. You can say I ain't like Wood in winning time. And I can't really debate that. It's subjective, right? The objectivity of sports matters, and it's live theater. So I take sports over. I don't really watch a lot of movies, TV, and acting very much.
0:56.2	I watch sports over. I don't really watch a lot of movies, TV, and acting very much.
0:56.2	I watch sports.
1:09.3	Yo, peace.
1:09.9	Welcome back to 7 p.m. in Brooklyn. I'm Carmelo Anthony Hill, my co-host. You know what it is? My name is Kazim Fami Ucaulte, you could call me Kaz. And this is a Wave Original presented by Fandul, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Mello. Yes, yes. I was a good one today, baby. I was waiting on this one.
1:28.2	Yes, sir.
1:29.0	Our guest today is from the west side of Chicago.
1:31.9	Came up hooping and went on to quietly shape some of the most important films and shows in black culture.
1:37.9	30 plus years in the game, never chasing attention, always leaving an imprint.
1:43.5	From a butter rim to paid and full to the wire.
1:47.2	Remember the Titans, Creed, and so much more.
1:51.5	Wood Harris, we're gonna say.
	...

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