Tonight will see the world premiere of "The Breaks" on VH1, a new TV movie that centers on three friends united by their love of hip-hop and working together to make it in the music industry. Before you settle into your couch with your popcorn in one hand and the TV remote in the other, you might need a little bit of background information on one of the stars, Tristan Wilds, who plays DeeVee.
Here are five things you need to know about Wilds.
5. Though he's been acting since he was 15 years old, you probably never saw Wilds until he nabbed the breakout role of Michael Lee on HBO's "The Wire." As Michael, Wilds unearthed one of the more complex characters on the show, an intelligent kid with a good heart trapped by the restrictions of urban life. Wilds gave an incredibly mature performance for such a young actor, and his character provided viewers with a glimpse into how fan-favorite Omar Little (Michael Kenneth Williams) came to be. The parallels made for satisfying arcs and a fantastic introduction into mainstream showbiz.
4. If "The Wire" wasn't your thing, then you might have caught Wilds on the rebooted "90210," where he played Dixon Wilson from 2008-2013. Dixon was the adopted son of Harry and Debbie Wilson who had a string of romantic interests on the show. He was also the jock of the new cast, scoring athletic jobs throughout the series. Though his character's struggles weren't nearly as severe as his counterpart on "The Wire," Dixon's life was filled with drama, and Wilds brought the necessary seriousness to the role.
3. It's possible that you've never even heard of Tristan Wilds, but how about Mack Wilds? Along with being a talented actor, Wilds is also a singer-songwriter and record producer focusing on hip-hop and r&b. His debut album, "New York: A Love Story" was released in 2013 and was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 56th Grammy Awards. His sophomore album is expected sometime this year.
2. Maybe hip-hop isn't your style, but we bet you like Adele. Seriously, who doesn't like Adele? Fun fact: Wilds was featured in Adele's music video for her recent hit single "Hello." That's right, he's the boyfriend standing in the rain that she must have called a thousand times. In addition to "Hello," Wilds has appeared in music videos for Jay-Z, Lil Flip, Wale, Wynter Gordon, Alicia Keys and Lil Wayne.
1. Wilds isn't just a versatile entertainer, he's also an activist. In 2008, he appeared alongside Jessica Alba and Hayden Panettiere in a promotional clip, "The Muzzler," aimed at getting young people to vote in the presidential election. We're not saying that the increase in participation from voters under 30 years old that year was because of Wilds, but we're not not saying that either.
