Lawrence “Larry” Gilliard, Jr. is an American character actor who has appeared in films, television series, and theatre. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of D’Angelo Barksdale on the HBO drama series The Wire, a role which earned him much critical acclaim. He is also recently known for his role as Bob Stookey in the AMC horror drama The Walking Dead.
Gilliard was born in New York City. He and his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland when he was 7. Gilliard studied classical clarinet at Baltimore School for the Arts and Juilliard School, but decided to pursue acting instead. He made his film debut as the lead in the independent film Straight Out of Brooklyn (1991). He studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, The Acting Studio-New York, and the Stella Adler Conservatory.
Gilliard has appeared on numerous television crime dramas such as Law & Order, Homicide: Life on the Street, New York Undercover, and CSI: NY. His notable film roles include: a love-struck ghetto teen in LottoLand (1995), an earnest college football player in The Waterboy (1998), and a member of the Dead Rabbits in Gangs of New York (2002). Gilliard recently had a role on the television series The Beast (2009).
Gilliard is also a stage actor. He received positive reviews for his role of Booth in a production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Topdog/Underdog, as well as winning the “Best Ensemble” award from the NAACP with co-star Harold Perrineau.
He joined The Walking Dead television series cast as a regular, playing Bob Stookey, as of season 4, appearing in thirteen episodes.