Video: Wendell Pierce Unpacks an Epic Career on Stage and Screen

Just last year, Wendell Pierce was giving audiences something to talk about with his acclaimed performance as one of the most complex characters written for the American theatre- Willy Loman.

Pierce played the titular character in the most recent revival of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman- a production that for the first time on Broadway, was from the perspective of an African American family.

"I consider [Death of a Salesman] to be the American Hamlet. It was never something I expected to play, so it was a great surprise when it was offered to me," he told Richard Ridge. "It was a great challenge. I leapt at the chance to play it, but it wasn't on my radar."

Pierce is an Obie Award-winning actor best known for his portrayals on HBO’s groundbreaking series “The Wire” and “Treme,” and “Suits” on USA. He currently stars in Amazon Prime’s “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.” He reprised his Olivier-nominated portrayal of Willy Loman from the Death of a Salesman London production. His Other Broadway credits include: The Boys of Winter, The Piano Lesson, Serious Money and Clybourne Park (Tony Award for Best Play, Producer). 

Pierce has worked hard for that list of credits. "Some people don't want to study... they just want to act," he explained. "The problem is that good acting makes it look natural and you think you can do it. The real work is the downtime."

watch as he chats more about his process and watch the conversation in full (and even more conversations with your favorite actors of stage and screen) with SAG-AFTRA Foundation.