
Person · Actor
David Simon
A journalist-turned-showrunner battles systemic corruption and urban decay in his unflinching quest to expose the truth behind Baltimore's broken institutions.
In short · Acting since 1983, 5 decades active, 15 credits.
Known for
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Biography
David Judah Simon (born February 9, 1960) is an American author, journalist, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work on *The Wire* (2002–2008). He worked for *The Baltimore Sun* City Desk for twelve years (1982–1995), wrote *Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets* (1991), and co-wrote *The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood* (1997) with Ed Burns. The former book was the basis for the NBC series *Homicide: Life on the Street* (1993–1999), on which Simon served as a writer and producer. Simon adapted the latter book into the HBO mini-series *The Corner* (2000). He is the creator, executive producer, head writer, and showrunner of the HBO television series *The Wire* (2002–2008). He adapted the non-fiction book *Generation Kill* into a television mini-series and served as the showrunner for the project. He was selected as one of the 2010 MacArthur Fellows and named a Utne Reader visionary in 2011. Simon also created the HBO series *Treme* with Eric Overmyer, which aired for four seasons. Following *Treme*, Simon wrote the HBO mini-series *Show Me a Hero* with journalist William F. Zorzi, a colleague at *The Baltimore Sun* and on *The Wire*. Simon and frequent collaborator George Pelecanos reunited to create the original series *The Deuce*. The drama about the New York porn industry in the 1970s and 1980s starred producer Maggie Gyllenhaal and executive producer James Franco and aired from 2017 to 2019. Simon's next series, *The Plot Against America*, debuted in 2020. *We Own This City* was developed and written by George Pelecanos and Simon and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. The six-episode limited series premiered on HBO on April 25, 2022.
Filmography · 10 of 10
Writer
3 creditsActor
7 creditsOriginals
Streaming originals this person worked on.
Representation
- Agent
Gersh Agency· Updated Jun 10, 2026
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Additional credits5Show
Non-headline appearances — talk-show, awards-show, panel, and archive-footage credits, kept separate from the main filmography.
- Ugly DeliciousSelf · 2018
- Late Night with Seth MeyersSelf - Guest (1 Episode) , Self (1 Episode) · 2014
- The House I Live InSelf - Creator, The Wire · 2012
- How to Make Money Selling DrugsSelf · 2012
- The Shadow EffectSelf · 2009
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