CR 045: For Actor Andre Royo, the Joy is in the Performance

“The Wire” actor discusses the ups and downs of playing Bubbles and how performing has helped him navigate his darkest days.

Andre Royo, photo by Kris Connor

As an actor, there may be no bigger blessing or curse than portraying one of the most memorable characters on one of the most critically acclaimed television series of all time. Andre Royo discovered this firsthand after landing the role of Bubbles—the recovering addict with the heart of gold—in HBO’s The Wire. Referred to by The New York Times as “the emotional heart of the series,” Bubbles was one of the few characters of the show’s five-season run who genuinely wanted to be a better person. And though the actor has played many other characters since The Wire’s 2008 finale—among them, Thirsty Rawlings in Empire and Spencer in Beautiful Boy—he admits Bubbles is still a major influence on his life, for better or worse.

“Growing up in New York, I saw addiction and homeless people as a problem,” Royo says. “Then playing the character, I felt so sad that I engaged in ignoring them. I was blessed to have done this because it changed my perspective. It change…