# Tray Chaney

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American actor

**Tray Chaney** (born c. 1982)[1] is an American actor and musician. He appeared on the [HBO](/source/Home_Box_Office) program *[The Wire](/source/The_Wire_(TV_series))* as [Malik "Poot" Carr](/source/Poot_(The_Wire)), which became his most successful acting role. He also appears in the [Bounce TV](/source/Bounce_TV) soap opera *[Saints & Sinners](/source/Saints_%26_Sinners_(2016_TV_series))* as Kendrick.[2][3]

## Career

Chaney began his entertainment career as a dancer at the age of four, winning competitions at the [Apollo Theater](/source/Apollo_Theater). He appeared in the 2003 music video "[My Baby](/source/My_Baby_(Bow_Wow_song))" by rap artist [Bow Wow](/source/Bow_Wow_(rapper)). He later appeared in *The Wire* BET Promo Shoot commercial in 2006. He has also appeared on *[America's Most Wanted](/source/America's_Most_Wanted)*, playing a fugitive named "Jerry Robinson."

Chaney initially auditioned for the role of [Wee-Bey Brice](/source/Wee-Bey_Brice) in The Wire, and while he was unsuccessful, the producers of the show created the character of Poot for him;[4] producer [Robert F. Colesberry](/source/Robert_F._Colesberry) was responsible for coming up with the name "Poot".[5] He starred in Saint & Sinners as Kendrick.[6]

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,[6] as well as being a recording artist.[7]

## Personal life

Chaney grew up in [Forestville, Maryland](/source/Forestville%2C_Maryland) and lives with his wife in [Locust Grove, Georgia](/source/Locust_Grove%2C_Georgia).[8] He has a son named Malachi.[5]

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.[9]

## Filmography

### Film

Year Title Role Notes 2003 Head of State Extra 2004 Something the Lord Made College Student TV movie 2005 The Salon JJ's Homeboy 2008 Cash Rules - Video 2009 What We Do - Video 2011 Streets Troy Queen of Media Chris 2012 Dead Money Tiger Epitaph - Short Playground the Movie Redbull Lorenzo & Monica Lorenzo Raising Wolves Ox 2013 Good Brutha Bad Brutha Ironman 6 Hearts 1 Beat Davarius White Masterminds Rocket 2014 The Weekend Brandon 2016 Drop: A Story of Triumph - Short Guns and Grams Rico A Way Out Victor Short 2017 Never Fall in Love Nigel Hit a Lick Darius/D-Rax The Barrel Sam Livingston 2019 Looking in the Mirror Tee Angels in Rocket Field Kid Dash Short The Portrait Anthony Parker Short The Probe Munch TV movie 2020 Guns and Grams Rico Zeke Rock Detective MJ: Shadow of a Hero MJ No Remorse Detective Reeves Expiration Date 143 Dajuan Weeks Short 2021 Truthless Omar Green 'OG' Short Saints & Sinners Judgment Day Kendrick TV movie Secret Society O Ayanna Shon's Christmas Hypnosis Hypnotist Thanksgiving Roast Preston Black Lies Mike 2022 Trophy Wife Detective Anderson Queen of Hearts David We Need to Talk Tango Unchained Absence of Innocence Willie

### Television

Year Title Role Notes 2002–08 The Wire Malik "Poot" Carr Recurring cast: Seasons 1–4, guest: season 5 2016–21 Saints & Sinners Kendrick Murphy Guest: season 1, main cast: season 2–6 2018 Groads Bay High Mr. Anthony Jackson Episode: "Episode 1 & 2" 2019 Transitions Mario Daniels Episode: "Nigerian Nightmare" 2020 Boomerang Barber Episode: "End of the Road" Chase Street Haas Episode: "Who Can You Trust" 2021 Peace Be Steel Robin Keller Episode: "I'm Steel Holding On" 2022 We Own This City Gordon Hawk Episode: "Part One & Two"

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Tindal, KB (28 March 2023). ["THE JOY OF THE JOURNEY: Tray Chaney"](https://www.validatedmagazine.com/culture/2023/3/28/the-joy-of-the-journey-tray-chaney). *VALIDATED MAGAZINE*. Retrieved 12 February 2026. a lot of my accolades and rewards come to me at this age, at 41

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Tray Chaney"](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1307291/). *IMDb*. Retrieved 2020-04-18.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Keeble, Arin; Stacy, Ivan (2015-04-07). [*The Wire and America's Dark Corners: Critical Essays*](https://books.google.com/books?id=x3WVBwAAQBAJ&dq=Tray+Chaney&pg=PA165). McFarland. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4766-1960-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4766-1960-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Kraft, Tim (2022-05-13). ["Exclusive: Tray Chaney Talks The Wire Casting and HBO's We Own This City"](https://movieweb.com/tray-chaney-the-wire-we-own-this-city-hbo/). *MovieWeb*. Retrieved 2025-03-30.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_5-1) ["THE JOY OF THE JOURNEY: Tray Chaney"](https://www.validatedmagazine.com/culture/2023/3/28/the-joy-of-the-journey-tray-chaney). *VALIDATED MAGAZINE*. 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2025-03-30.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_6-1) ["Tray Chaney talks iconic role as Poot from The Wire, creating 'our own Hollywood'"](https://web.archive.org/web/20240720172304/https://www.wjbf.com/community/black_excellence/tray-chaney-talks-iconic-role-as-poot-from-the-wire-creating-our-own-hollywood/). *WJBF*. 2024-07-19. Archived from [the original](https://www.wjbf.com/community/black_excellence/tray-chaney-talks-iconic-role-as-poot-from-the-wire-creating-our-own-hollywood/) on 2024-07-20. Retrieved 2025-03-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Tray Chaney Details Roles As Poot In "The Wire" & In Mac Dre Biopic"](https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.28257/title.tray-chaney-details-roles-as-poot-in-the-wire-in-mac-dre-biopic). *HipHopDX*. 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2025-03-30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-wash_inform_8-0)** Ruffin, Odell. ["Former "Wire" Star Releases Autobiography"](http://www.washingtoninformer.com/wi-web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2021:former-wire-star-releases-autobiography&catid=64:entertainment&Itemid=136&TheWireHBO). *Washington Informer*. Retrieved 2009-09-10.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Eric, Mock. ["Teen son of 'The Wire' actor Tray Chaney recovering after being thrown by tornado"](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/teen-son-the-wire-actor-tray-chaney-recovering-after-being-thrown-tornado). *[Fox 5 Atlanta](/source/Fox_5_Atlanta)*. Retrieved 12 June 2025.

## External links

- ["After The Wire"](https://washingtonian.com/2010/05/31/after-the-wire/), Christopher Seneca, *[Washingtonian](/source/Washingtonian_(magazine))*, May 31, 2010

- [Tray Chaney](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1307291/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

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