Who is The Greek, the mysterious villain from HBO's The Wire? Critically acclaimed crime drama The Wire ran for five seasons between 2002 and 2008. Created by David Simon, a former crime reporter for The Baltimore Sun, the show was praised for its realistic, gritty depiction of inner-city life and is still hailed as one of the best TV shows of all time over a decade after its last episode aired.
Set and produced in Baltimore, the series explored the city’s drug war with each of The Wire’s five seasons focusing on different institutions and their relation to law enforcement, from the media to the city school system. The second season of The Wire focused on Baltimore’s seaport system and the role it plays in the city’s crime scene. It was also the season that introduced one of the show’s most powerful yet enigmatic criminals – The Greek.
Played by Bill Raymond, The Greek is the head of an international smuggling organization that trades in everything from stolen goods to drugs and sex trade workers. The Wire shows that The Greek’s criminal network stretches far and wide, from stevedores like Frank Sobotka (Chris Bauer) who gets roped into smuggling drugs and trafficked humans through the ports for him, to the FBI mole who tips him off whenever law enforcement gets too close to his activities.
Despite being a powerful crime boss, The Greek preferred to stay in the background on The Wire. Basing his operations out of a small diner, he kept a low profile while his second-in-command Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos (Paul Ben-Victor) took care of business. Throughout his time on The Wire, his real name was never revealed and he’s referred to only by his moniker which is ironic as – by his own admission – The Greek isn’t even Greek. The Greek’s low profile extends to his appearance too; outwardly, he seems like an unassuming old man dressed plainly in typical grandpa clothes.
That’s partly why The Greek is such an effective villain - because he doesn’t seem like on. But behind the grandfatherly façade, The Greek is the most ruthless and cunning of all The Wire’s villains. Making more money is The Greek’s only goal and he’ll stop at nothing to do so by having anybody who interferes in his business killed immediately. The Greek’s mysterious yet menacing nature makes him one of the most powerful villains on The Wire.