A whole bunch of emotions, all at once. It's great to be able to complete the story. It's been an honor. David Simon and Ed Burns made it so much like a novel that I think all of us wanted to come back and finish it. With all the chapters written, I think we're all kind of sad—and happy in a way. You know, five years of playing a junkie is enough. I'm ready to get clean! I'm ready to take a hot shower! So I'm looking forward to putting on a suit and tie, but we're all going to miss the show. We're all going to miss Baltimore in its unique way.
What do you like best about being a part of “The Wire”?
The accolades are great, but to be part of a show that's so much more than just entertainment is really something special. It brings a lot of spiritual satisfaction.
And you're fortunate to be playing one of the more interesting characters…
I'm glad to hear that. When the show started, the plan was to have Bubbles around for seven episodes, so to still be here five years later—I must have been doing something right! When people see someone like Bubbles in the street, they overlook a lot. He's just a human being with afflictions. We all have our own addictions to a different variety of things. Bubbles has been through a lot.
What can you tell us about Bubbles in the final season?
For all his life, Bubbles' purpose was looking for ways to get high. Without that purpose, he doesn't know what to do, doesn't know where he belongs. That's the journey he's on in the fifth season. Greggs said it best a long time ago: "What am I going to do with a clean snitch?" He has to reestablish what life is about for him and discover what kind of enjoyment he can have without the dope.
The fifth and final season of “The Wire” premieres Sunday, Jan. 6 at 9 p.m./8c on HBO.
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