Robert F. Chew

Robert Francell Chew (December 28, 1960 – January 17, 2013) was an American acting coach and actor. He was best known for portraying drug kingpin Proposition Joe on the HBO drama series The Wire.

THE WIRES2, E12

Port in a Storm

In the Season Two finale, the Detail has a setback, and needs a new cooperator, while Russell and Bunk revisit Philly, looking for evidence. Brother Mouzone talks with Stringer Bell regarding their agreement, leaving Bell to contend with a dissatisfied Avon Barksdale. Bubbles and Johnny pull another caper and McNulty and Greggs return to the Westside, where they discover new connections. Herc and Carver feel disrespected by fellow officers, while Nick tries to come to terms with the Greeks--and himself. Omar and his crew have a new target and the Feds are less trustworthy than they seem.
THE WIRES5, E1

More With Less

Season Five premiere. As McNulty and the detail continue staking out Marlo's crew, recently promoted Sergeant Carver is welcomed by a cauldron of discontent from officers coping with unpaid overtime. Though he wants to keep his campaign promise to lower crime, Mayor Carcetti is strapped by his commitment to schools, and faces some tough choices. Col Cedric Daniels is forced to reallocate his resources, retaining Freamon and Sydnor for the Clay Davis probe. Meanwhile, City Editor Haynes and the staff of a local newspaper are reeling from corporate cutbacks, losing key personnel from both the metro and international divisions. Still, with the help of reporters Gutierrez, Price and Templeton, Haynes is able to break a front-page story that links a politician to a co-op drug dealer. Proposition Joe, Marlo, Fatface Rick others meet in a hotel conference room to discuss divvying up drug frontiers across East Baltimore's county line.
THE WIRES2, E10

Storm Warnings

The Detail uses satellite technology to its advantage. Bodie is unhappy that Proposition Joe's people are slinging on his turf, but business flows--until a new face from New York arrives. Stringer Bell looks to an unlikely solution to the problem. A frustrated Valcheck visits the FBI in an attempt to get real results on the docks. Ziggy's deal with Double-G goes bad in a big way. Nick lies to Aimee, Greggs considers the idea of motherhood, and Prez makes a major blunder. The Detail prepares for an action that they hope will give them the man on top.
THE WIRES4, E12

That's Got His Own

On the trail of missing bodies, Freamon turns to a higher authority after being rebuked by Landsman. Carcetti finds his erstwhile promises of prosperity undermined by the school debt, forcing him to contemplate groveling before the Governor in Annapolis. Colvin approaches a pair of familiar faces--Deacon and Watkins--to keep his experimental class funded. Bubbles considers taking extreme measures to rid himself of his nemesis. Prez is rankled by Dukie's academic promotion; Marimow gets his walking papers; Omar orchestrates another big sting; Namond and Cutty get a first-hand taste of the 'new' Michael; and Carver's promise to look out for Randy ends up looking empty.
THE WIRES2, E9

Stray Rounds

Bodie's effort to improve sales ends disastrously, forcing Bell to rethink his strategy. Ziggy, duck in tow, pulls Johnny Fifty into a new caper that should have the Greeks paying off big. McNulty, undercover and outnumbered in the brothel, awaits 'rescue' by the detail. Daniels and Pearlman keep their composure as Valcheck fumes over the change of targets--and Burrell pulls the rug out beneath him. Meanwhile, the Greeks, feeling confident, get back to business.
THE WIRES3, E3

Dead Soldiers

Colvin feels the sting of Burrell and Rawls during a Comstat assessment of his district's felony numbers; a blown wiretap forces Daniels's detail to turn to a new target; Proposition Joe cautions Stringer Bell that the police have been tapping phones. Carcetti continues to curry favor in Mayor Royce's inner circle with a scheme for jump-starting a police-academy class for Burrell. Omar and crew get more than they bargained for during a stick-up of a Barksdale stash house; Colvin has a new crime-reduction plan. Already awash in police work, Bunk is dispatched on a mission impossible. McNulty probes deeper into D'Angelo Barksdale's prison suicide, while Marlo suggests Fruit get his slumping sales numbers up with a persuasive visit to Bodie's crew. Cutty struggles to stay on the straight and narrow, still hopeful as he tries to reconnect with his long-ago girlfriend, while a group of colleagues gather to pay tribute and provide a proper sendoff to a friend at an old-time Irish wake.

Robert F. Chew

Guest Appearances