Through The Wire - w/Gbenga Akinnagbe

November 7th, 2014 / Brooklyn, NY (DOSS Media) — Recently the cast and creator (David Simon) of HBO’s “The Wire” sat down with moderator Alan Sepinwall during a panel discussion about the show at New York’s Paleyfest. 

It’s been six years since we all waited for Sunday nights to get a chance to peek into Avon Barksdale’s (Wood Harris) and Omar Little’s (Michael K. Willams) insane and gritty world known as “The Wire”, where the phrase “reality show” should have originated from.  

We caught up with another star from “The Wire” named Gbenga Akinnagbe who played the psychotic character, Chris Partlow. He has also been in films, “The Taking Of Pelham 123”, “Edge Of Darkness” and “Lottery Ticket” just to name a few. 

Gbenga just wrapped up a new film called “Knucklehead”  which was directed by Ben Bowman and his most recent film, “Phantom Halo” was released on October 24th.

He also brought us up to speed with how his product line supports freeing people globally; from their societal constraints, his teaming up with various non-profit organizations that share the same vision and his trek in Nepal.

 

DM: Tell us about Liberated People and are you an activist?

GA: “Liberated People” is a shirt line that focuses on mobilizing a demobilized populous.
I’m wearing a sweatshirt right now (Ethiopia) that is 50% cotton and 50% recycled plastic bottles.
They are also printed with water based inks because we are also Green conscious.

We highlight the liberation dates of nations around the world and I've been a part of a whole deal of social movements. 

I guess that you can call me an activist. I activate. I’ve been arrested and sat trial on these ideals and constantly speak about them. 

From Nigeria, the West Bank in Isreal to here in Brooklyn, one thing that I've realized is that people in the street speak different languages and have different color skin but they're all fighting for the same rights. 

We often feel that our pains and struggles are unique to us but I wanted something to show exactly the opposite. We share the same pains and struggles, which we all have in common and if we stood together, we would be stronger for it and that's why “Liberated People” was born.

DM: How did you prepare for climbing the Himalayas in Nepal and how did that even come about? 

GA: My agent was celebrating his 60th birthday by re-living a trek that he did 38 years ago which was a smaller version but then he wanted to do the larger circuit. He told all of his clients that he was going out there with his family and if any of us wanted to go, once we got there he would take care of everything. 

I was shooting a movie and wasn't sure if would be able to get out there so he left without me but he left his cell phone here. 

So he asked me to meet up with him in the town that he was in if I could make it. I took a plane that transferred in Hong Kong to New Delhi to stay a night in Kathmandu then to another town to get to the plane that only goes once a week to the town [where he was]. 

If I would've missed any of them I would have missed him but I was able to get there and we trekked for two weeks on the Annapurna circuit through some of the mountains in the Himalayas and it was amazing. 

DM: Did you have really to push yourself?

GA: Oh yes. There were some strenuous times and it gets colder and colder as you go up and we stayed in these tea houses. 

But also you can get kind of ornery too and you bicker and fight at times but you still have to walk for hours to the next town with these people (laughs). It teaches you a lot about yourself and how you handle things.