Born Sherwin David Harris on October 17, 1969, Wood is the younger brother of actor Steve Harris. The Chicago, Illinois native holds a theatre degree from Northern Illinois University and a Masters degree from New York University. Wood starred in his first major film role in Above the Rim, a basketball drama starring Tupac Shakur. He also portrayed the legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix in the movie, Hendrix. Avon Barksdale is the top drug dealer in the city of Baltimore, and he is the leader of the drug gang that bears his name. His number two guy, Stringer Bell, serves as his assistant in the operations. His main interest is to control the distribution of drugs throughout the city, and he believes that doing so requires nothing less than absolute power. Avon avoids attracting attention to himself by keeping a low profile, maintaining great discretion about his wealth and his activities.