Robert Chew, the actor who played Proposition Joe on the cult crime drama The Wire, died of a heart attack in his Baltimore home on Thursday. He was 52, reports the Washington Post. Known for his practical advice, Chew's character was an integral part of the HBO show's gritty depiction of Baltimore.
Robert Chew grew up in Baltimore and studied music at Morgan State University for two years. His sister said he worked as music director for the Arena Players community theater.
The character Prop Joe was a highly intelligent and ruthless yet polite and diplomatic Baltimore drug lord. Another sister, Maureen Brown, said strangers would approach Chew on the street in Baltimore and tell him what a great job he did in that role.
Read more at the Washington Post.