Actor Robert F. Chew, who is best known for playing the memorable character Proposition Joe on the HBO series The Wire has died at the age of 52.

Chew was found dead in his Baltimore apartment on Thursday. The cause of death was heart failure according to the Baltimore Sun.

Jamie Hector, the actor who played Marlo Stanfield on the show tweeted about Chew's death earlier today.

"Robert was not only an exceptional actor, he was an essential part of the film and theater community in Baltimore,” David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’ said in an to The Baltimore Sun on Friday. “He could have gone to New York or Los Angeles and commanded a lot more work, but he loved the city as his home and chose to remain here working.  He understood so much about his craft that it was no surprise at all that we would go to him to coach our young actors in season four.  He was the conduit through which they internalized their remarkable performances."

Chew described Proposition Joe in a 2006 interview with David Zurawik of The Baltimore Sun  by saying, “If you are thinking of ‘The Wire’ as a western, Joe would be the guy in town who owns  all the land…. And he’s trying to make sure he has everything arranged so that the town runs the way he wants it to run – so that it runs for his profit. He’s always calculating that way."

Rest is peace Robert F. Chew.

The Wire Clip: Omar pays a visit to Prop Joe's shop

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