Tray Chaney is an American actor and musician. He appeared on the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
program ''
The Wire
''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...
'' as
Malik "Poot" Carr, which became his most successful acting role. He also appears in the
Bounce TV
Bounce TV is an American digital terrestrial television, digital broadcast television network owned by Scripps Networks, a subsidiary of E. W. Scripps Company. It launched on September 26, 2011, and was promoted as "the first 24/7 digital multic ...
soap opera
Saints & Sinners as Kendrick.
Career
Chaney began his entertainment career as a dancer at the age of four, winning competitions at the
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre) is a multi-use Theater (structure), theater at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of U ...
. He appeared in the 2003 music video "
My Baby" by rap artist
Bow Wow. He later appeared in ''The Wire'' BET Promo Shoot commercial in 2006. He has also appeared on ''
America's Most Wanted
''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American television program whose first run was produced by 20th Television, and second run is under the Fox Entertainment#Fox Alternative Entertainment, Fox Alternative Entertain ...
'', playing a fugitive named "Jerry Robinson."
Chaney initially auditioned for the role of
Wee-Bey Brice in The Wire, and while he was unsuccessful, the producers of the show created the character of Poot for him; producer
Robert F. Colesberry was responsible for coming up with the name "Poot".
He starred in Saint & Sinners as Kendrick.
He released his self-published book entitled ''The Truth You Can't beTray'' in January 2007. He has produced a number of movies and his own line of fragrances,
as well as being a recording artist.
Personal life
Chaney grew up in
Forestville, Maryland
Forestville is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 12,831. The community ...
and lives with his wife in
Locust Grove, Georgia.
He has a son named Malachi.
On May 29, 2025, an EF-2 tornado destroyed his residence in Locust Grove, Georgia and critically injured his 18-year-old son, Malachi Chaney, who was thrown approximately 300 feet from his bedroom into nearby woods.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
"After The Wire" Christopher Seneca, ''
Washingtonian'', May 31, 2010
*
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
American male television actors
People from Forestville, Maryland
Male actors from Maryland
21st-century African-American male actors
21st-century American male actors
People from Clinton, Maryland
Place of birth missing (living people)
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