Seth Gilliam

Best known for his portrayal of Sergeant Ellis Carver in the acclaimed crime drama "The Wire" (HBO, 2002-08), actor Seth Gilliam also had notable recurring roles in prison drama "Oz" (HBO, 1997-2003), young adult series "Teen Wolf" (MTV, 2011-) and comic book adaptation "The Walking Dead" (AMC, 2010-). Born in 1968, Gilliam studied at the State University of New York at Purchase before making his on-screen debut as Pam's boyfriend Aaron for a three-episode stint in "The Cosby Show" (NBC, 1984-1992). Following a cameo in Steven Starr's semi-autobiographical love story "Joey Breaker" (1993), Gilliam played two real-life characters in quick succession, firstly the titular late 19th Century cadet in docudrama "Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson C. Whittaker" (1994) and then James Hemings, the slave freed by the third American President in Merchant Ivory production "Jefferson in Paris" (1995). Roles as cancer-stricken Sergeant Stephen Altameyer in military drama "Courage Under Fire" (1996), kamikaze soldier Sugar Watkins in Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi satire "Starship Troopers" (1997) and reckless hustler Tyrone in urban indie "Tar" (1997) then followed before Gilliam returned to television to play correctional officer-turned-inmate Clayton Hughes in gritty prison drama "Oz" (HBO, 1997-2003). After taking the lead as lovelorn young professional Marcus in LGBT drama "Punks" (2000) and appearing in feminist anthology "Personal Velocity: Three Portraits" (2002), Gilliam landed his signature role as Carver Ellis, the upstanding sergeant whose bickering relationship with simple-minded partner Herc provided most of the comic relief on gritty favorite "The Wire" (HBO, 2002-08). During his five seasons on the show, Gilliam also had four-episode stints on legal spin-offs "Law and Order: Trial By Jury" (NBC, 2005-06), and "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" (NBC, 2001-2011), appeared in the "Emme's Story" segment of interweaving post-9/11 drama "The Great New Wonderful"