Michael K. Williams | |
|---|---|
 Williams at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2012 | |
| Born | Michael Kenneth Williams November 22, 1966 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | September 6, 2021 (aged 54) Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1994–2021 |
| Children | 3[1] |
| Website | michaelkennethwilliams |
Michael Kenneth Williams (November 22, 1966 – September 6, 2021) was an American actor. He rose to fame for his acclaimed portrayals of Omar Little on the HBO drama series The Wire (2002–2008) and Albert "Chalky" White on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014).[2][3][4]
Born in Brooklyn, New York City, to an African-American father from South Carolina and a Bahamian mother, Williams enrolled at the National Black Theater. He left school early to pursue a career as a dancer, which resulted in his working with Kym Sims, George Michael, and Madonna, and found work choreographing music videos. His distinctive voice, prominent facial scar, and charisma helped him obtain acting work, initially alongside Tupac Shakur in the 1996 film Bullet before being cast in The Wire in 2002.[5]
Williams earned five Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his performances in the HBO television biopic Bessie (2015), the Netflix drama series When They See Us (2019), and the HBO crime series The Night Of (2016) and the HBO supernatural series Lovecraft Country (2020). He had a recurring role in the NBC sitcom Community from 2011 to 2012. He also had supporting roles in a number of films including Gone Baby Gone (2007), The Road (2009), Inherent Vice (2014), and Motherless Brooklyn (2019), as well as starring roles in 12 Years a Slave (2013), Robocop (2014), The Purge: Anarchy (2014), The Gambler (2014), Triple 9 (2016), Ghostbusters (2016), and Assassin's Creed (2016).
During his career he acknowledged struggles with fame throughout his life, admitting that he had suffered from drug addictions during the height of his success. He continued to live in Brooklyn until his death in 2021 at age 54, after using heroin laced with a lethal amount of fentanyl. Four men were charged in the aftermath of his death with various crimes, including manslaughter.[6]
- ^ Stalnecker, Ashley (September 14, 2021). "Michael K. Williams, 'The Wire' actor, will have private funeral services in Harrisburg, where he often visited his mother". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ Bianco, Robert (May 26, 2004). "10 Reasons we still love TV". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 13, 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2006.
- ^ Barsanti, Chris (2004). "The Wire—The Complete First Season". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on January 6, 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2006.
- ^ McCabe, Brent; Smith, Van (2005). "Down to the wire: Top 10 reasons not to cancel The Wire". Baltimore City Paper. Archived from the original on April 16, 2005. Retrieved July 21, 2006.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ agency, Guardian staff and (February 2, 2022). "Michael K Williams: four men charged in overdose death of Wire actor". the Guardian. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.