Domenick Lombardozzi

Imposingly built, Bronx-born character Domenick Lombardozzi seemed destined to play tough guys on both sides of the law, so it was fortuitous that he landed on one of the best police shows, if not one of the most acclaimed television series ever: HBO's "The Wire" (HBO, 2002-08). Lombardozzi played Detective Thomas "Herc" Hauk, a no-nonsense lawman whose punch-first-ask-questions-later style frequently landed him in hot water. The role was the high point of a two-decade career that began with "A Bronx Tale" (1993) when Lombardozzi was a teenager, and soon included appearances on "Oz" (HBO, 1997-2003) and "61*" (HBO, 2001), among other projects. After "The Wire," Lombardozzi found himself essaying more cops and gunmen in bigger projects like "Miami Vice" (2006) and "Public Enemies" (2009) before earning his first turn as a series lead in "Breakout Kings" (A&E, 2011-12). The action-drama allowed Lombardozzi to play to his strengths - innate street sense and physical prowess - while imbuing his character with a layer of sensitivity as a caring father. Projects like these helped to give Lombardozzi the boost he needed to eclipse the character actor mantle and break out into possible leading man status.