Wood Harris Net Worth, Age, Wife, Kids, Parents, Height, Weight and Biography

Last Updated: October 19, 2026

Table of Contents

1. Wood Harris Quick Bio
2. Who Is Wood Harris?
3. Wood Harris Net Worth
4. Early Life and Family Background
5. Wood Harris Parents
6. Wood Harris Siblings
7. Wood Harris Education
8. Wood Harris Age
9. Wood Harris Height and Weight
10. Wood Harris Career
11. Wood Harris Wife
12. Wood Harris Kids
13. Lesser Known Facts About Wood Harris
14. Frequently Asked Questions
15. Final Words

Wood Harris Quick Bio

Information	Details
Full Name	Sherwin David Harris
Popularly Known As	Wood Harris
Profession	Actor, producer and musician
Birthday	October 17
Age	57 years old
Birthplace	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Net Worth	Estimated $2 million to $3 million (some sources suggest around $500,000)
Height	6′ 3″ (1.91 m)
Weight	Approximately 172 lbs (78 kg)
Spouse	Rebekah Harris
Children	Two
Father	John Henry Harris
Mother	Mattie Harris
Sibling	Steve Harris (older brother, actor)
Education	BA in Theater Arts from Northern Illinois University, MA from New York University
Best Known For	The Wire, Remember the Titans, Paid in Full, Creed

Who Is Wood Harris?

Think of an actor who can say almost nothing and still make you lean toward the screen. For a lot of people, that actor is Wood Harris.

He was born Sherwin David Harris, though hardly anyone calls him that. Most viewers know him as Avon Barksdale, the calm and dangerous drug kingpin from HBO’s The Wire.

But reducing him to one character would be unfair. He has played a football hero, a street hustler and a boxing trainer, and he has done it all with the same steady focus.

He also paints, makes music and produces projects of his own. So what is it about him that keeps audiences coming back? Mostly, it is that he never seems to be trying too hard.

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Wood Harris Net Worth

Wood Harris has an estimated net worth of approximately $2 million to $3 million. Some sources put the number closer to $500,000, depending on how they count his independent projects.

Yes, that is a big gap. Let me explain why you will see such different numbers online.

Why the Numbers Don’t Match

Actors do not share their bank statements, so every figure out there is an educated guess. Writers and websites look at his roles, estimate the pay, and do some math.

Harris also takes on smaller independent projects that rarely make the news. Nobody really knows what those pay, and that is where most of the disagreement comes from.

Where the Money Comes From

Most of it comes from acting. He has worked for decades, and in some years he appeared in several projects at once.

His part in the Creed films brought both fresh attention and steady earnings. Producing, music and voice work add a little more on top.

There was no single jackpot moment. It was years of showing up and doing the work, which, honestly, is how most careers in Hollywood are built, even if we like to believe otherwise.

There is one more thing worth saying. A net worth figure only tells part of the story. Harris has built a long and respected career, and for many actors, that matters more than any number.

Early Life and Family Background

Wood Harris was born in Chicago, Illinois, and is of African American heritage. He grew up in a home where hard work was simply normal.

Here is a small detail that people love. As a kid, his friends and neighbors found “Sherwin” hard to pronounce, so he became “Wood.” The name stuck, and it stuck for good.

Acting was not his first dream. Drawing and painting were, and he spent a lot of his early years with a pencil or a brush in his hand.

Music came next. After high school he helped start a rap group called FOTM, short for “Fruit of the Mind,” and the group opened for names like Big Daddy Kane and A Tribe Called Quest.

Imagine being that young and sharing a stage with legends. It taught him how to face a crowd, and you can see that comfort in his screen work today. More on this period is available on IMDb’s biography page.

Wood Harris Parents

His father was John Henry Harris, a bus driver. His mother was Mattie Harris, a seamstress and housewife, according to Wikipedia.

Kiddle lists the same details about the family and their Chicago roots. They were ordinary jobs, done every day with pride.

Neither parent came from show business. Yet they stood behind their sons, and both Wood and his brother Steve ended up as working actors. That says a lot about the home they grew up in.

Wood Harris Siblings

Wood has an older brother, Steve Harris, who is an actor too. You may know him as Eugene Young on The Practice, or from Diary of a Mad Black Woman.

Steve was born on December 3, so he is the big brother of the pair. And here is the part that surprises people.

Steve did not start out wanting to act. He was a linebacker on the football team at Northern Illinois University, until a torn ankle ligament ended that dream.

Acting came next for him, and Wood followed into the same world and the same university. Plenty of fans have no idea the two are related, so the reaction is usually a big “wait, really?”

Wood Harris Education

Wood studied at Northern Illinois University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts. That is where acting stopped being a hobby and became a plan.

To pay the bills, he took small jobs acting in educational and corporate vignettes about substance abuse. Not glamorous, sure, but it gave him real time in front of a camera.

After his degree, he was accepted into the graduate acting programs at both Yale and New York University. Think about that for a second. Two of the toughest programs in the country said yes.

He picked NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and finished with a Master’s degree. The training shows in how precise his work is. His TV Guide profile also covers his background.

Wood Harris Age

Wood Harris was born on October 17 in Chicago, which makes him 57 years old. Both Wikipedia and IMDb confirm his birthday.

His latest birthday was just two days before this update. And no, he is not slowing down.

Wood Harris Height and Weight

Wood Harris stands 6′ 3″, or about 1.91 meters. His weight is around 172 lbs (78 kg), based on details listed on IMDb and UrduPoint.

It is a tall, lean build that works well on camera. It is easy to see why casting directors picture him in sports films and tense dramas.

Wood Harris Career

The Early Days

His first real notice came as Motaw in the basketball film Above the Rim. It was a hard, gritty part, and it showed people he could handle serious material.

After that, he simply kept going. Supporting roles, new sets, new lessons, and slowly a name that casting teams recognized.

Remember the Titans and Paid in Full

Then came Remember the Titans, where he played Julius Campbell. The story follows a newly integrated high school football team, and it is still a film people rewatch every year.

His performance felt warm and honest. Maybe that is why the movie still lands so well.

Next was Paid in Full, where he played Ace. The tone was very different, darker and sharper, and it proved he was not a one note actor.

The Wire

And then, The Wire. Harris played Avon Barksdale, the head of a drug organization in Baltimore, and the part changed his career.

The series is regularly listed among the best television dramas ever made. His Barksdale was quiet, patient and frightening, which is a rare mix. Ask any fan of the show, and he is usually one of the first characters they name.

Curious about the character? The Wire fandom wiki has a lot more detail.

Creed and Recent Work

More recently, he joined the Creed films as Tony “Little Duke” Evers, the trainer behind Adonis Creed. Younger fans know him from this role more than anything else.

He also appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, proving he could fit into a huge superhero movie without losing his own style.

He still works across film and television. He has never chased the spotlight, but somehow it keeps finding him.

Why Audiences Trust Him

Ask a few fans why they like him, and the answers sound alike. He feels real. He rarely overacts, and he lets silence do some of the talking.

That is harder than it looks. Many actors push too hard to be noticed, while Harris trusts the scene and the viewer. Over the years, that trust has paid off with loyal fans who follow his work from one project to the next.

Music, Art and Other Interests

Harris never stayed in one lane. He produced his own debut album, Beautiful Wonderful, which was first planned for release many years ago.

He also still draws and paints, just like when he was a boy. Oh, and he once played in the Black Poker Stars Invitational, because why not?

All of this points to someone curious, a little restless, and always looking for another way to make something.

Wood Harris Wife

Wood Harris is married to Rebekah Harris. According to Wikipedia, they married more than two decades ago and are still together.

Fans say the two met at a “five seasons fight night,” a detail shared on fan pages across social media. It is a fun little origin story.

They keep their private life mostly private. Rebekah rarely speaks to the press, and Wood shares family moments only now and then, usually around birthdays.

In an industry where marriages often fall apart quickly, that is worth noticing. Maybe the quiet is part of the answer.

Wood Harris Kids

Wood and Rebekah have two children, as Famous Birthdays confirms.

One of them is a daughter named Amale Lee, who has joined her father on the red carpet. Those photos show a proud dad.

Beyond that, very little is public. He protects his children’s privacy carefully, and that is a choice most fans respect.

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Lesser Known Facts About Wood Harris

The Nickname Story

“Wood” came from the fact that people struggled to say “Sherwin.” A small childhood problem turned into the name millions of people know today.

Art Came First

Before the camera, there was the sketchbook. Many fans picture him only as an actor, but he started as an artist.

He Chose NYU Over Yale

He was accepted into graduate acting programs at both Yale and NYU. In the end, he picked NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

He Skips the Final Cut

Here is a surprising one. Harris often detaches from a project once it is finished and does not always watch the final version. He talks about it in this YouTube interview.

More Than an Actor

If you want to see how much his work has meant to people, this Substack feature is a good read on his cultural influence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Wood Harris’s net worth?

It is estimated at around $2 million to $3 million. Some sources place it nearer $500,000.

How old is Wood Harris?

He is 57 years old, and his birthday is October 17.

Who is Wood Harris married to?

He is married to Rebekah Harris, and they have two children.

Who are Wood Harris’s parents?

His parents are John Henry Harris, a bus driver, and Mattie Harris, a seamstress and housewife.

Does Wood Harris have a brother?

Yes, his older brother is the actor Steve Harris, known for The Practice.

How tall is Wood Harris?

He is 6′ 3″, or about 1.91 meters.

What did Wood Harris study?

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts from Northern Illinois University and a Master’s degree from New York University.

What is Wood Harris best known for?

Mostly for playing Avon Barksdale in The Wire. Many people also love him in Remember the Titans, Paid in Full and the Creed films.

Final Words

Wood Harris did not rush his way to the top. There was no single lucky break, just years of steady work and smart choices.

His net worth reflects that patience. It is built on decades of acting rather than one huge payday.

Away from the cameras, he keeps his family close and his life quiet. A long marriage, two children and a tight bond with his brother say a lot about what he values.

He still has plenty left to give, and fans will be watching to see what comes next.

Spotted something that needs correcting or updating? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll take a look.