Tray Chaney talks iconic role as Poot from The Wire, creating ‘our own Hollywood’

WJBF – Actor, producer, and music artist Tray Chaney is very well-known in the world of film and television with his most recognizable role as Poot in the critically-acclaimed HBO series, The Wire .

Chaney takes some time to chat with WJBF about his illustrious acting career and how faith and family have been a major influence throughout his years in the entertainment business.

Thank you for joining us on Celebrating Black Excellence. Now, let’s start with your beginning. How did you get started with acting and entertainment?

Well, a lot of people don’t know, but I started as an R&B hip-hop dancer and hip-hop artist. So, you can see footage of me at eight years old performing at the Apollo and winning in New York City five times in a row. That was the beginning of the journey of Tray Chaney. That was like the beginning of my career. And then, of course, that continued for – I want to say – like maybe 12 or 13 years before I got cast as an actor on HBO’s The Wire . So, you know, my humble beginnings as a hip-hop artist, as a writer, director, producer, dancer and all of that… it was like destiny for me to be doing what I’m doing now over 30 years later.

Speaking of The Wire, we know you mostly as Poot. Let’s talk about how you got that role. How did you get started on The Wire?

Well, you know, like I said, with me transitioning from like hip-hop artist to an actor, a woman by the name of Linda Townsend discovered me in Washington, D.C., which is where I’m originally from. She said, “I don’t specialize in dancers. I don’t specialize in rappers, but I do some me actors for different television film projects.” So she said, “I can see that you’re don’t have stage fright, and this might be something that you want to get into.” I’ve always wanted to be an actor. I took acting in high school. I was just like very eager, and I always wanted to do this. So believe it or not, she submitted me for The Wire as my first job. So me getting submitted for The Wire , going in to remember monologues, and ended up getting cast, it was a big deal for me. Not to give nobody no spoiler alert because people watch The Wire anyway, but I ended up doing all five seasons, and I was only supposed to be in the first like two episodes in the first season. To last on such a huge show like The Wire is just like a blessing.

It has been 22 years since the premiere. Did you think that this show would still have the impact that it has today?

Man to be honest, 22 years ago, I remember like it was yesterday when The Wire premiered June 2nd, 2002, and I’m going to be honest, I feel like I knew I was a part of something special, but I just didn’t know. I think I’m speaking for everybody that was on the wire, but none of us knew that The Wire would be what it is. 22 years later, one of the most critically acclaimed talked about groundbreaking television shows of all time. And to play Poot, it’s almost like a surreal moment. You know, I still get bookings off of just playing this character that I played 22 years ago, you know? So, man, what a blessing from God. You know, I’m just very humble, and I’m very blessed to be a part of such a show. It’s not just a regular show. This show is the culture, you know. So just to be a part of a show that’s a part of the culture, that’s a different type of motion, you know?

As you mentioned, your character survived all five seasons, and for those of us who watched The Wire, we know that anybody can go at any time. Were you surprised that your character survived all five seasons?

Yeah, I was definitely surprised that Poot survived all five seasons of The Wire because after we killed Michael B. Jordan’s character, I’m like, “Oh, yeah, I know Poot is going to be next.” After Stringer Bell, Idris Elba’s character, was killed in what I want to say the third season, I’m like, “Yeah, this is…” And then, even for Bodie… you know that iconic scene with me and Bodie before you know he takes his last breath and I’m trying to get him to go with me to run away from Snoop and Chris and all them. I’m like, “Man, they going to kill my character off.” But for Poot to survive all five seasons, my story arc is a story arc that will forever be talked about because it does show coming from a negative background, and the people that I was surrounded around, I ended up turning my life around and getting a job at a Foot Locker.  So, that was huge. By the way, Foot Locker needs to reach out to me so we could do one of them commercials. (Laughs)

In your opinion, what is the best season of The Wire to you, and which season of The Wire has the best opening?

The best season to me… I have to go with season one. I’ll be honest… that question is a little tough because I love all the seasons, don’t get me wrong, but season one of The Wire was the beginning. That’s what kicked off the other four seasons. I think the best opening credits… I got to go with my own joint, you know season three when we opened up and the towers are coming down. I want to say Glynn Turman was in that episode as well. I think that’s when Glenn’s character was introduced as well. So for the best season, I’ll go with season 1, and the best opening credits, season 3.

Now, you talk about your faith journey coming from D.C. and coming to Atlanta. Tell us a little bit about that.

I got to give a big shout out to my wife, Ayesha Chaney, because to be honest with you, Ayesha was the one who made that suggestion to re-locate from Washington, DC to Atlanta, Georgia, and this was during a time when I was cast on Saints And Sinners . So after they brought me in the first season, and then, I ended up living in Atlanta for the second season but going back and forth from Atlanta back home to D.C., where a lot of the stuff that goes on in the industry was going on out here in Atlanta. So, my wife one day when she came to visit – and actually, that was my son’s first plane ride I want to say back in 2016 – she said, “What are we doing still living in D.C.? We need to make that leap of faith. We need to jump, and we need to move to Atlanta, Georgia.” Because one thing that I always say is my wife seen potential in me before I even seen that type of jump in myself. Of course, I believe myself: fully confident and got a lot of faith in myself, but it was it was my wife, Ayesha Cheney, that said, “I know what my husband capabilities are if he’s around certain people in this industry.” She knows how I am with people, she knows I’m a hustler, and she knows I know how to network. So big shout out to Ayesha for just almost like putting that battery in my back to say, “Come on, we have to do this.” I always tell people that was the first time I’ve ever felt fear in my life. I’m packing up that U-Haul from Washington, D.C. with all of our belongings and driving 10 hours to Atlanta. When we pulled up at that townhouse in 2017, we were just like, “What did we just do?” And me as a man and having a family, because people got to understand it was me, my wife Ayesha, and our son Malachi. Like my whole family lives in D.C., you know, but man, you fast forward seven years later, it’s just like a blessing from God. We were renting a townhouse in 2017. Then, 2020 hit, and it’s another Ayesha moment. She’s like, “Yo, now we need to start looking for a house.” I’m like, “Well, it’s COVID. We ain’t gonna…” We jumped out and got a house built from the ground up. So, I’m just blessed. I’m blessed to be able to now understand having faith in the unforeseen. I understand that wholeheartedly.

Now, speaking of Saints And Sinners, what was that experience like for you portraying Kendrick?

Playing Kendrick was amazing because you got to think after The Wire ended, it was like a good 7 to 8 year period where I did not work mainstream-like, series regular-type roles. I was in roles here and there. When I got called for Saints And Sinners in 2015, 2016… and then for that show to last all the way through 2022, I’m like… six seasons and a movie! It was an honor to play Kendrick, and for my parents to be played by Clifton Powell and Vanessa Bell Calloway… like you couldn’t have better actors and actresses to play my parents. I mean, they taught me so much on screen, but the reality of us being real connected and locked in offscreen was what I really appreciated. Those are real people. They became like my real family, you know? So Christian Keyes, Keith Robinson, Jasmine Burke, Dawn Halfkenny, Donna Briscoe… everybody from Saints And Sinners … I love them. I had a beautiful time portraying that character for six seasons and a movie. I got to shout out my man Nigel Campbell; Nigel was real with it. I got to shout out my homegirl Ty Scott, who created the show. Man, I had a lot of a lot of fun.

Now, the actor who portrayed Bodie, J.D. Williams, you two played in The Wire, Saints And Sinners, and most recently BMF together. With you working together in all of these projects, what is your relationship like with him?

Me and J.D. Williams, AKA Bodie from The Wire and Jabari from Saints And Sinners , working with this brother has been an incredible journey. We’re like the Black Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. We have other projects that I’m producing, and I’m bringing him on as producer as well. We just work very well together, and we became brothers over 22 years ago. So having that brotherhood and relationship to this day, in which casting directors might look at us and say, “Yeah, I want both of them,” you know, almost like a package deal. And I’m not saying it was that, but organically, me and his brother just ended up on some huge shows together. Now with the hype around this whole Mobb Deep biopic, we really pushing for that just to give the fans what they want. So J.D. is my brother and always been my brother, and it’s nothing but love for him.

You produce your own movies now as well. How was that for you working not just in front of the camera but behind the camera?

Man, I got it. I got to shout out my brother Fool With The Camera, Jordan Marcel, because he comes from the music video world. In the music industry, he shot some of the biggest videos with some of the biggest names in the industry, and to partner with him when we first partnered on our film, Antwan, which is killing it on Tubi right now, we established this partnership with Chaney Vision Entertainment and South East Cinema. It is dope being in front of the camera, but it’s even better being behind the scenes as well even with my involvement with production as far as casting, as far as craft services, and as far as bringing in other producers such as my guys, Dana Freeman of D Free Management, and Anthony Clark… bringing in these type of brothers for different projects as well has been a blessing. With Antwan being out right on Tubi, and we have Hidden Lies that’s getting ready to drop, which I’m also starring in and the executive producer of, we have Clifton Powell, J.D. Williams, Dennis “L.A.” White , Lil’ Zane… this is another one that my brother Fool With The Camera… he wrote it, he directed it. We showing people that you don’t have to wait for Hollywood. With the consistency of what we doing now, we’re able to produce content, whether it’s television, whether it’s film. We just dropped an announcement. We getting ready to start on our brand new, eight-episode television series, which is called Full Circle . I’m also an executive producer on that. I’m playing a cop in that; I’m playing a lieutenant. It’s another project that is going to be big for us. So I think my right now, the days of Hollywood – you know, giving creatives and actors and actresses in a hand out or whatever – those days are over. The days of Hollywood saying, “Okay, we’re going to give you a shot,” is slim to none. This year is The Power of independent filmmakers, directors, writers, producers, executives; this is that. Anybody that is independent, I hope they listening to this and really paying attention because like I always say, “Chaney Vision Entertainment stands for I created my own Hollywood.” Period. The same thing goes for Fool With The Camera with South East Cinema. We creating our own Hollywood. Having Antwan out that’s crushing it on Tubi, Hidden Lies is on the way, and now, this Full Circle television show… we got another faith-based film with our brother, Michael Turner, called John . So, like I said me and Fool With The Camera… it ain’t no letting up. We both from Washington D.C. I rep Forestville, Maryland; he rep Southeast. We’re not playing, man. I’m glad we’re doing this interview because this is the interview right here when people watch this in the next couple of months, you’ll understand what I’m talking about. We’re getting ready to shift the culture.

I also want to let everybody know about my new fragrance: Aye Body; it is the unisex fragrance for men and women. It’s on chaneyway.com. All of my content, my documentary is on chaneyway.com . That’s another big level business move that I created with my website. So it’s the one stop shop. You can get on it, grab the album, grab the merch, grabbed Aye Body fragrance for men and women. Grab everything.

For those who want to follow you or want to learn more about you, how can they get that information?

The website is chaneyway.com . You can get anything Tray Chaney at chaneyway.com . You can follow me on Instagram @TrayChaneyVision . You can follow me on Twitter @TrayChaney . On Facebook , you can follow me, Tray Poot Chaney ; on TikTok, @TrayChaney1 . It ain’t hard to find me online, put it that way. (Laughs)

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