To the dismay of all the show’s loyal fans, HBO’s critically-acclaimed crime drama The Wire is gone for good. But to the joy of many, cast members from one of the most powerful portraits of life in America’s inner cities are finding career success in the year since the show left the air. While he may not have an appearance on an Eminem album to his credit like former Wire co-star Dominic West (a.k.a. “Dr. West,” b.k.a. Detective Jimmy McNulty), 16-year-old Jermaine Crawford [click to read], who portrayed the impoverished and introverted Duquan “Dukie” Weems, does have work with Em’s best friend coming soon to the big screen.
“I was really surprised that he was as cool as he was,” Jermaine told HipHopDX recently of his Twelve co-star Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. “That’s one of the most down to earth people I’ve ever met. 50’s definitely a cool dude.”
Due in theaters at the end of this year, Twelve is the film adaptation of the 2002 novel of the same name written by then 17-year-old Nick McDonell about a high school dropout-turned-dealer who successfully sells a unique Ecstasy-esque drug to the privileged teens of Manhattan’s upper east side until his cousin is murdered on a Harlem playground and his best friend is fingered for the crime.
“Man! It is going to be a great movie! Anybody who’s a fan of The Wire is gonna love this movie,” exclaimed Jermaine of Twelve. “It’s about drugs, and money, and how it affects us all. So you get to see the rich part – the fashion, the glitz, the glam – [but you also] get to see the streets – the hardcore, edgy side of it.”
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But will we get to see Dukie and 50 on screen together?
“We do have a scene together,” he revealed, “and it’s definitely gonna be a scene that wows you.”
Directed by Joel Schumacher (Falling Down, A Time To Kill, Batman Forever), and starring Kiefer Sutherland of TV’s 24, the film is sure to be a holiday season blockbuster, that as Jermaine explained shares some similarities to the gripping street-centered The Wire. But he assured all fans of arguably one of television’s most impressive dramas ever that his role in Twelve will not reprise the heartbreaking story of Duquan.
“A lot of people asked me why I didn’t go with Mike,” he said of his character Dukie’s dramatic decision making in the final season of The Wire. “But I think it fit the character though. You couldn’t really bring me along with [him], because that wasn’t really who my character was in essence. He was more of the kinda chill, laidback guy. That wasn’t really Dukie’s character to be the hustler or [the robber]. So, I think it went well with the storyline. I wish it was a happier ending, but it’s reality.”
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Ironically, outside of the fictional Wire world Dukie rolls with Mike, a.k.a. Tristan Wilds, quite often since discovering during filming of the show that the two are in fact cousins [click to read].
While Tristan is currently starring on The CW’s 90210, Jermaine is also surfacing on the small screen, having recently appeared in the premiere episode of ABC’s The Unusuals, as well as the pilot episode for The CW’s Past Life.
When he’s not shooting for TV, Jermaine is tending to his home school studies, working on his career as an aspiring singer, and maybe most notably constructing his Teenage and Homeless documentary inspired by his portrayal as Dukie on The Wire.
But even with all of Jermaine’s non-film activities, the unbelievably determined teen is still managing to find time to rack up several new roles in major motion pictures including Explicit Ills, which stars Rosario Dawson and Black Thought (and will be coming to DVD soon after a limited theatrical release this past spring). Crawford also co-stars alongside Robin Givens, Johnny Gill and Shirley Murdock in A Mother’s Prayer. The film based on a stage play (and in which Jermaine gets to show off his singing chops) will also be arriving on DVD shortly.
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Jermaine is currently working alongside Bow Wow for the tentatively-titled Family, which is directed by veteran actress Tasha Smith (Daddy’s Little Girls, ATL), and in which Jermaine plays Bow’s best friend.
Fans of The Wire are going to have to get used to seeing “Dukie” in a new light in these new roles though, as the talented young actor is shedding the shy, soft-spoken persona of his Wire character to portray a bully in the recently-released indie flick An American Affair, and a brash, foul-mouthed tough teen from Harlem named “Na Na” in the forthcoming Twelve.
“I’m really happy that [the Dukie] character didn’t exactly typecast me, and it didn’t really brand me,” Jermaine explained to DX. “I’m really getting a chance to do new roles that allow me to just look at people’s lives in a different way, and just tackle different personalities. I didn’t wanna just do that timid, quiet role. With the movie Twelve, I’m kind of like a in-your-face, hardcore, fighting, rough type dude. And it’s a blessing for me that with two years of doing that type of character that’s not all people see me as doing.”
