Cast of HBO's 'The Wire' Says Rats Used to Overrun the Set, Eat the Food

Several cast members from HBO's acclaimed series "The Wire" are admitting they really had to watch their backs when they had to walk through the garden ... those Baltimore rats were the real criminals!!!

On Friday, "The Breakfast Club" celebrated the show's 23rd anniversary with Tray Chaney, who played Poot; Anwan "Big G" Glover, who played Slim Charles; Hassan Johnson, who played Wee-Bey Brice; and J.D. Williams, who played Bodie Broadus.

The crew shared vivid memories of their time on set, including always having to fend off city rodents during scenes.

Hassan revealed that he was scared to death filming his infamous shootout scene with the late Michael K. Williams, who played "Omar," but it wasn't the shotgun that spooked him -- it was the rat caught on camera in the background who really terrorized the streets!!!

Slim Charles relived a horror story of his own, about a time when the staff ordered the cast a bunch of pizzas during a break ... only for a rat the size of a groundhog to knock all the boxes to the ground -- and dozens more vermin rushed in to devour all the cheesy bread!!!

Even without winning an Emmy, "The Wire" still holds rank on several "Best TV Show" lists, and the crew also pondered if it could withstand a reboot ... which would prove tough without Michael K., Lance Reddick and a few others.