Government conferences can rarely boast of a speech by a well-known actor featured in Home Box Office’s series, including ‘The Wire’ — except maybe when the actor has a brother who is a Department of Energy manager.
The DOE Small Business Forum & Expo last week in New Orleans included a keynote address from actor Wendell Pierce, perhaps best known for portraying Detective Bunk Moreland in the HBO series, The Wire. The actor also happens to be the brother of DOE’s Ron Pierce. Ron Pierce, who heads the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, which put together the conference.
“Yes … they are brothers,” a DOE spokesperson said Monday, confirming the family tie.
The actor, who last year starred in a Broadway revival of “Death of a Salesman,” received a standing ovation following a talk that touched on revitalization efforts in his native New Orleans and opportunities available to entrepreneurs and small businesses, according to a contractor who attended last week’s gathering.
Wendell Pierce also expressed pride in his brother Ron, a U.S. Army combat veteran who graduated from West Point and has worked in government, politics and consulting.
