You originally got into acting as a way to support your musical ambitions. When did you first discover your passion for music?
I stared writing songs when I was seven. I started playing the piano when I was eight. Growing up, I always thought I was going to be a musician. My first year at college, I was a physics major and that had more to do with getting cold feet about being a musician. I went to the University of Rochester. The Eastman School of Music, even though it's a famous school by itself, is technically part of the University of Rochester, which is a lot of the reason why I went there. I went to a concert in October of my first year at the university when I was studying physics and I thought, "You know what? I made a mistake. I need to come here." So, I applied for a transfer.

What were your biggest musical influences growing up?
When I was a kid, I was really into pop music. Even though I studied classical music my whole life, I was really into pop music and I was really into bold ballads. My favorite singers were Nat King Cole and Johnny Mathis. I would just listen to their stuff over and over again and imitate their singing, their styles and the way they phrased.

After having such success as an actor, what made you decide to rekindle your music career?
About five or six years ago, I was singing this song I started writing when I was 25 years old. From time to time over the years, I'd sing these songs that I had written that I never recorded. And one day my daughter said to me, she was about 11 years old at the time, "Dad you should do something with that."

I said to her, "It's too late. I'm too old."

And she said, "I don't know, Dad. I think that's an excuse." She didn't say anything else. She just walked away. The way she said it and the timing, I was just left with, "Wow." So, I just started thinking about it a lot. And, I just decided to start trying to write again and it was really hard at first. It's still hard. One of the things I had never gotten over was my fear of the empty page. The first thing I had to do was try to discipline myself to try to write something every day, even if I threw it out. And eventually, I picked up some old songs and I finished them. Then, I just started writing new stuff. After a few years, I decided I wanted to do a song writing demo. That turned into – maybe I should try an album. That's where I am right now.

Is there a release date yet for your album?
No, there isn't. The plan right now is to finish recording in Baltimore. The guy who does the promotion for and supervises the production for George Clinton is going to be producing the album. Ironically enough, he's from Baltimore. So we are going to be doing the album while I'm shooting this season.

We have a tough question for you. Do you consider yourself a songwriter who acts or an actor who writes songs? If you had to choose between the two, which would you pick?
It's tricky because acting is how I made my living for so long, but music was my training for so much longer than that. Honestly, I would say I am an actor and a songwriter.

What do you do to unwind? What kind of hobbies do you have?
I like to read and I like movies. I've never been much of a club person. I hate to say this because I'm an actor and I'm in the entertainment industry, but I'm not a real people person. I like quiet evenings. Mostly, I like to read.

Tell us something not many people know about you.
I'm really goofy. I've had a hard time getting an opportunity to do any comedy since I started doing a lot of television because what I've become known for is intense dramatic character acting.

We've got one last thing for you here. We are going to do a word association. We'll just throw out a name and tell us the first thing that comes to your mind.

Major Cedric Daniels.
Serious. Intense. Committed.

The city of Baltimore.
Many faceted.

David Simon.
Genius.

Lance Reddick.
Multi-talented.

The future.
Wide open.

Interviewed by Joel Murphy, October 2005. Lance Reddick is up for one of the adult leads in Kaffir Boy: The True Story of Black Youths Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa, a new film that is being adapted from the Mark Mathabane bestseller. He is also being wooded to co-star with Susan Sarandon and Rafe Fiennes in a new film. His album, Black and White, will be available on his website. The fourth season of The Wire is filming now.