Larry Gilliard Jr. is a hustler.

But don’t get him confused with the Baltimore drug dealer he played on HBO’s “The Wire.” Instead, think of a guy who makes the most of every opportunity he’s given, does his homework, and as a result, comes out on top.

“I’m very focused when it comes to work,” Gilliard Jr. told andPOP. “When I get into my character, I tend to lock in. I just go with my own tried and true method of doing my research, and getting the job done.”

Those hard-nosed techniques which have stalked up an impressive resume so far, have now landed him a spot working with Patrick Swayze on A&E’s latest bad-boy “The Beast.”

“He was a major reason that drew me to the show,” Gilliard Jr. said of Swayze, who is battling pancreatic cancer. “I respect him as an actor and person. He’s a perfectionist, and one of those guys you run into who simply love what they do, and that passion rubs off on everyone else.

“Sometimes you run into people like that, and when they’re creating on the set, they’re like kids playing on a playground. They love it so much, and you see how excited it is for them.”

“The Beast,” which premiered on January 15, centers around deep undercover FBI agents- the veteran Charles Barker (Patrick Swayze), and his young apprentice Ellis Dove (Travis Fimmel). However, when an FBI Internal Affairs team – led by an agent named Ray Beaumont (Gilliard Jr.)- feels that Barker may have gone rogue, they try to enlist Dove as a double-agent in the bureau’s investigation of his mentor.

With the new role on the new show, Gilliard Jr. says it feels good to be on the other side of the law, character-wise that is.

“I never had a chance to play this kind of person, an FBI agent, so when the opportunity came up, I jumped on it,” said Gilliard Jr. “I had to go in and audition like everyone else, and so far it’s definitely been a fun change. I’ve played drug dealers and gang leaders in the past, so it’s nice to do something different.”

“But as actors, that’s what we’re trained to do,” continues Gilliard Jr. “We take on different people with different lives, and I take pride in that.”

And with a background studying at the Juilliard School, the Baltimore School for the Arts, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and The Acting Studio Inc., Gilliard Jr. hopes have the opportunity to showcase more of his hard-work in the series.

“I don’t know the direction of the character in the long run, but I hope to see it turn into a more pivotal role, something stronger. I’m excited,” says Gilliard Jr.

Hopefully the “suits” at A&E will give him the green light.






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