Michael K. Williams
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]
Michael K. Williams
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]
Early life and education[edit]
Williams was born on November 22, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Bahamian born Paula Thompson [7] and Booker T. Williams, an American, from Greeleyville, South Carolina, where his African-American family has deep roots.[8] Williams was raised in the Vanderveer Projects in East Flatbush, Brooklyn,[9][10] and attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School.[11] Later, Williams enrolled at the National Black Theatre in New York City.[12]
Career[edit]
1994–2001: Early career and acting debut[edit]
Williams worked for Pfizer pharmaceuticals as a temp.[13] However, inspired by Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, he left school and quit his job, against the wishes of his family, to pursue a career as a dancer. During a year in which he was intermittently homeless, Williams visited record labels and dance studios looking for work. He got a job as a background dancer with singer Kym Sims, which led to more work appearing as a dancer in music videos and on tours with artists such as George Michael and Madonna, as well as some modeling work. He also choreographed Crystal Waters' 1994 single "100% Pure Love".[14][15]
Williams had a large facial scar he received in a bar fight on his 25th birthday, when he was slashed with a razor blade. The scar became his signature feature, and resulted in offers to perform as a thug in music videos[16] and modeling opportunities with noted photographers like David LaChapelle.[17] One of his first acting roles was alongside Tupac Shakur as High Top, the brother and henchman to Shakur's drug kingpin Tank, in the 1996 film Bullet.[5] Shakur reportedly decided on Williams for the role after spotting a Polaroid photograph of him in a production studio.[18]
Personal life[edit]
During his portrayal of Omar, Williams went by his character's name and developed a habit of smoking cannabis and an addiction to cocaine in 2004.[49] Williams lived part-time in Newark, New Jersey using drugs, but sought help from a ministry in neighboring Irvington, which he credited for helping him during the production.[50][51][52]
Death[edit]
On September 6, 2021, at the age of 54, Williams was found dead by his nephew at his apartment in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.[53][54][55][18] On September 24, the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City ruled it a death by overdose and confirmed that Williams died of a combination of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and parafluorofentanyl.[56][57] His private funeral was held at St. Stephen's Episcopal Cathedral in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where his mother lives.[58] The Baltimore Ravens played a tribute to Williams by playing his character Omar Little's whistle of the song "The Farmer in the Dell" as part of the team intro all throughout the M&T Bank Stadium.[59] Félix Bautista of the Baltimore Orioles began entering the game to Omar's whistle as a tribute.[60]
In February 2022, police arrested four men in connection with Williams' death.[61] In April 2023, drug dealer Irvin Cartagena pleaded guilty to selling the mix of heroin and fentanyl to Williams that resulted in his death.[62] In July 2023, four men took guilty pleas and Carlos Macci, one of the men, was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison.[63][64]
Artistry and legacy[edit]
Williams also served as the American Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador to the Campaign for Smart Justice.[65] Williams' portrayals of openly gay characters was deemed to be revolutionary.[66] He has been described as a "singular presence, onscreen and off, who made every role his own".[67] Williams' portrayal of Omar Little has been called one of the best in the history of television.[68] His performance as Omar was widely acclaimed, leading to praise from President Barack Obama and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series in 2007.[23] With The Wire and other shows such as The Sopranos, Williams was credited with being part of the late 1990s and early 2000s artistic force changing American television into an art form.[69] In the aftermath of his death, he was the subject of tributes and appraisal both in the United States and beyond; the British lecturer and writer Kenan Malik wrote of his "power and nuance, seldom seen on screen".[70]