Earle says he'll miss his true-to-life role on 'The Wire'

It was an unlikely gig but the perfect role for Steve Earle, and tonight it comes to an end.

The veteran country-rocker made his TV acting debut a few seasons ago on the critically acclaimed HBO drama "The Wire," which airs its final episode tonight. He played Waylon, a recovering drug addict who becomes a sponsor for the central character, Bubbles. The role was an obvious mirror to Earle's real-life struggles with addiction.

"It didn't require any acting ability from me because he's a redneck recovering addict," Earle cracked.

He got the role thanks to being a longtime acquaintance of the show's creator, David Simon. Praised for its accurate portrayal of inner-city strife, "The Wire" not only gave Earle a chance to try out his acting chops, but genuinely did him some good in dealing with his demons.

"The writing in it is so sensitive to the way the [Alcoholics Anonymous] program works," he said. "Sometimes we'd have extras who really were in the program in Baltimore, and we'd be filming in rooms where meetings actually take place. So I felt like I was making meetings I wouldn't normally make. I'm really busy, you know, but going to meetings and calling my sponsor are still a centerpiece of my life."

Earle has since picked up a one-off spot on "Law & Order: SVU" and is considering a medium-size role in an upcoming movie. His favorite thing about acting? "The insurance is better."