Felicia Pearson

Felicia Pearson is best known for her role on HBO's critically acclaimed show The Wire, where she went from a featured extra to a series regular portraying a character with the same name coincidentally that she has been called since a young teen, “Snoop.”  She now has a formidable fan base built on her amazing performance on the series.

Stephen King, “The King of Horror,” said that Felicia Pearson is “the most terrifying female ever in the history of television.”  Those who know her well are amused because the real “Snoop,” is anything but. The fun-loving jokester has a reputation of being the life of any party.  Her quick smile, and laughter hide the fact that Felicia's life has been one filled with challenges and obstacles, which are detailed in her autobiography Grace After Midnight: A Memoir.

She was born to two incarcerated drug-addicted parents and raised in an East Baltimore foster home. Arriving prematurely and weighing only three pounds, she was not expected to live. Much like the characters on The Wire, she was greatly influenced by her surroundings. By the age of 14, she was convicted of second-degree murder. Although it was in self-defense, she was sentenced to two eight-year terms, to be served consecutively, at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women. She was released after 6.5 years.

Once released, Felicia was determined to change the direction her life had taken.  Michael Kenneth Williams discovered her one evening while in a Baltimore night club.  Michael, who played the notorious Omar Little on The Wire, said that Felicia processed a “star-like quality” that attracted him to her.  He suggested that she audition for HBO and arranged for her to meet with casting.  Where many would have shrunk from the challenge, Felicia took the opportunity as a sign her life was meant for something better than the streets she grew up on.

Felicia is an openly gay woman and has the overwhelming support of the gay community.  They cheer her on as their champion from the U.S. to the U.K. Features have been written that talk about her sense of style to her courage to be herself in a judgmental world.

Although living in Baltimore has continued to be a challenge for Felicia, she meets every obstacle with determination to move forward.  Her most recent work includes Must Be The Music, where she plays daughter to Charles S. Dutton.  Future projects include a film in pre-production closely based on her life.