Michael Kenneth Williams (November 22, 1966 – September 6, 2021) was an American actor. He rose to fame for his acclaimed portrayals ofOmar Little on theHBO drama seriesThe Wire (2002–2008) andAlbert "Chalky" White on the HBO seriesBoardwalk Empire (2010–2014).^[2][3][4]

Michael K. Williams
Williams at theTribeca Film Festival in 2012
Born	Michael Kenneth Williams (1966-11-22)November 22, 1966 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	September 6, 2021(2021-09-06) (aged 54) Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1994–2021
Children	3[1]
Website	michaelkennethwilliams.com

Born inBrooklyn,New York City, to anAfrican-American father fromSouth Carolina and aBahamian mother, Williams enrolled at theNational Black Theater. He left school early to pursue a career as a dancer, which resulted in his working withKym Sims,George Michael, andMadonna, and found work choreographing music videos. His distinctive voice, prominent facial scar, and charisma helped him obtain acting work, initially alongsideTupac Shakur in the 1996 filmBullet before being cast inThe Wire in 2002.^[5]

Williams earned fivePrimetime Emmy Award nominations for his performances in the HBO televisionbiopicBessie (2015), theNetflix drama seriesWhen They See Us (2019), the HBO crime seriesThe Night Of (2016), and the HBO supernatural seriesLovecraft Country (2020). He had a recurring role in theNBC sitcomCommunity from 2011 to 2012. He also had supporting roles in a number of films includingGone Baby Gone (2007),The Road (2009),Inherent Vice (2014), andMotherless Brooklyn (2019), as well as starring roles in12 Years a Slave (2013),Robocop (2014),The Purge: Anarchy (2014),The Gambler (2014),Triple 9 (2016),Ghostbusters (2016), andAssassin'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 usingheroin laced with a lethal amount offentanyl. Four men were charged in the aftermath of his death with various crimes, including manslaughter.^[6]

Williams was born on November 22, 1966 inBrooklyn, inNew York City, the son ofBahamian-born Paula Thompson^[7] and Booker T. Williams, anAfrican-American, fromGreeleyville, South Carolina, where his family has deep roots.^[8] Williams was raised on New York Avenue near Vanderveer Projects inEast Flatbush,^[9][10] and attendedGeorge Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School.^[11] Later, Williams enrolled at theNational Black Theatre in New York City.^[12]

Williams worked forPfizer pharmaceuticals as atemp.^[13] However, inspired byJanet 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 singerKym Sims, which led to more work appearing as a dancer in music videos and on tours with artists such asGeorge Michael andMadonna, as well as some modeling work. He also choreographedCrystal Waters' 1994 single "100% Pure Love".^[14][15]

Williams had a prominent vertically spanning forehead scar inflicted in a bar fight on his 25th birthday. 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 likeDavid LaChapelle.^[17] One of his first acting roles was alongsideTupac Shakur as High Top, the brother and henchman to Shakur's drug kingpin Tank, in the 1996 filmBullet.^[5] Shakur reportedly decided on Williams for the role after spotting a Polaroid photograph of him in a production studio.^[18]

Williams gained recognition as an actor for his portrayal ofOmar Little inThe Wire, which began filming in 2002. The character was based onDonnie Andrews, along with other crime figures in Baltimore.^[19] Williams received the part after a single audition,^[20] at the encouragement of writerEd Burns.^[21] He was told that the character was slated to appear in just seven episodes and expected him to be killed by the end of the first season.^[20] However, creatorDavid Simon stated that they always planned to keep the character as part of the continuing ensemble should the show be renewed beyond one season.^[22]

For his portrayal of Omar, Williams was named byUSA Today as "one of ten reasons they still love television". The magazine praised Omar for his uniqueness as a character, and Williams for bringing wit and humor to the portrayal.^[2] Omar has been named as one of the first season's richest characters, aRobin Hood of Baltimore's west side projects. TheBaltimore City Paper named the character one of their top ten reasons not to cancel the show and called him "arguably the show's single greatest achievement".^[4] In 2007, he was nominated for anNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Omar.^[23]

Williams pursued the role because he was intrigued by Omar's contradictory nature.^[20] He felt Omar's popularity stemmed from his honesty, lack of materialism, individuality and his adherence to his strict code.^[20] He felt that the role has been a breakthrough in terms of bringing attention to him and getting further roles.^[24] Williams received both positive and negative reactions to Omar's homosexuality and felt that he was successful in challenging attitudes and provoking discussion with the role.^[24] In 2008, then-U.S. SenatorBarack Obama citedThe Wire as his favorite television show, and called Omar his favorite character. About Omar, Obama said, "That's not an endorsement. He's not my favorite person, but he's a fascinating character ... he's the toughest, baddest guy on the show."^[25]

Williams had a recurring role onJ. J. Abrams'Alias. He also had a recurring role on the Abrams-producedSix Degrees.^[24] He made brief appearances onCSI: Crime Scene Investigation (playing two different characters on two different seasons),Boston Legal,The Sopranos,Law & Order (playing three different characters on three different seasons),Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also playing two different characters on two different seasons),Human Giant,^[26] andThird Watch.^[27] Williams appeared inThe Kill Point as recurring guest star Q, a police sniper, alongsideThe Wire co-starsJ. D. Williams,Michael Hyatt andLeo Fitzpatrick. He auditioned for the starring role of Mr. Cat but was forced to take a smaller role due to scheduling conflicts; the part of Mr. Cat went to J. D. Williams instead.^[28] Williams played a Boston area detective named Devin Amronklin in the 2007 filmGone, Baby, Gone. The film is based on a novel byDennis Lehane, who has written forThe Wire, and was adapted and directed byBen Affleck. Amronklin is a recurring character in Lehane's Kenzie-Genarro series of books. Williams said that he enjoyed working with Affleck and characterized him as a passionate and hands-on director.^[24] Williams played Teddy, the former boyfriend of Nikki Tru (Kerry Washington) in theChris Rock filmI Think I Love My Wife. He played James, a policeman, in singerR. Kelly's video for "Trapped in the Closet". He also appeared inThe Game's "Dreams" and "How We Do" music videos,Tony Yayo's "It's a Stick Up" music video andCam'ron's filmKilla Season, as well asTrick Daddy's video "Tuck Your Ice In",Freeway's "How We Do", Sheek Louch's "Good Love", and Young Jeezy's "Bury me a G" alongside hisThe Wire co-starHassan Johnson. Williams played the role of The Thief in the 2009 filmThe Road, an adaptation of theCormac McCarthy novelof the same name.^[29]

In 2010, Williams appeared in the filmLife During Wartime. The character he played, Allen, was portrayed byPhilip Seymour Hoffman in the film's predecessor,Happiness.^[30] Williams starred in the filmA Day in the Life, which was directed by, produced by, and starred rapperSticky Fingaz. The entire film is a musical with every line being delivered in rap verse. Williams starred in HBO'sBoardwalk Empire for its five seasons (2010–2014), appearing as Albert "Chalky" White, the leader of 1920s'Atlantic City's black community.^[31]

On July 23, 2011,Community creatorDan Harmon revealed that Williams would star in "at least three episodes" of the sitcom's third season.^[32] He played the role of Biology ProfessorMarshall Kane at Greendale Community College.^[33] In November 2011, it was announced that Williams would appear inQuentin Tarantino's feature filmDjango Unchained.^[34] Williams, who had previously confirmed that he was actually in talks with Tarantino to take on the titular role of Django, was to portray a minor character in the film, but scheduling conflicts withBoardwalk Empire prevented him from doing so.^[35] On May 16, 2012, Williams announced that he was an executive producer of the independent filmSnow on tha Bluff, Williams' first film under his company, Freedome Productions. On Power 105.1fm'sThe Breakfast Club, Williams revealed the June 19 release date forSnow on tha Bluff, describing the movie as "real graphic": "everything that is wrong with the 'hood is in this movie".^[36] Williams also shared onThe Breakfast Club that he was starring in an African American western,They Die by Dawn, with his co-starSnoop from the HBO seriesThe Wire. Williams also revealed that he was starring in the lead role as rapperOl' Dirty Bastard (ODB) from theWu-Tang Clan in the movieDirty Whiteboy in 2014, which is based on the relationship ODB had with his manager during the last two years of his life. Williams mentioned the role was special to him because he grew up listening to Ol' Dirty Bastard and to Wu-Tang and was also a Brooklyn native.^[36] In 2013, Williams starred inMGMT's music video for "Cool Song No. 2"^[37] and had a cameo appearance inJay-Z's "Picasso Baby" art film.^[38] That same year, Williams appeared in ASAP Rocky's video for "Phoenix".^[39]He was also featured modeling forThe Gap's 2014 fall collection.^[40] In 2013, Williams was the voice actor and motion capture performer for the characterKimble “Irish” Graves inBattlefield 4, reprising the role posthumously in 2022 forBattlefield 2042.

On March 9, 2015, it was announced that Williams would star inSundanceTV'sHap and Leonard,^[41] and he stayed with the series for its entire three-season run. Also in 2015, Williams appeared in the music video for "The Mephistopheles of Los Angeles" byMarilyn Manson.^[42] In 2016, Williams began working withVice News, hosting a VICELAND program titledBlack Market. In the series, he visited various clandestine markets to explore how they operate while investigating the circumstances that generate their clientele.^[43] In 2018, Williams again worked with the Vice team. In "Raised in the System", the extended premiere episode of the sixth season of HBO's Emmy-winning weekly news magazine seriesVice, Williams embarked on a personal journey to expose the root of the American mass incarceration crisis: the juvenile justice system.^[44] Williams was originally cast as Dryden Vos, a crime lord, inSolo: A Star Wars Story,^[45] but exited the role after being unable to return for re-shoots due to scheduling conflicts with the filmThe Red Sea Diving Resort.^[46]Paul Bettany was cast in his place, with the character being reworked from a motion-capture alien to a human.^[47] In 2020, he played Montrose Freeman on the HBO seriesLovecraft Country.^[48]

During his portrayal of Omar, Williams went by his character's name and developed a habit of smokingcannabis and an addiction tococaine in 2004.^[49] Williams lived part-time inNewark, New Jersey using drugs, but sought help from a ministry in neighboringIrvington, which he credited for helping him during the production.^[50][51][52]

On September 6, 2021, at the age of 54, Williams was found dead by his nephew at his apartment in theWilliamsburg 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 ofcocaine,fentanyl,heroin, andparafluorofentanyl.^[56][57] His private funeral was held atSt. Stephen's Episcopal Cathedral inHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, where his mother lives.^[58] TheBaltimore 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 theM&T Bank Stadium.^[59]Félix Bautista of theBaltimore 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]

Williams also served as theAmerican Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador to theCampaign for Smart Justice.^[65] Williams's 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's 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 PresidentBarack Obama and a nomination forNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series in 2007.^[23] WithThe Wire and other shows such asThe 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 writerKenan Malik wrote of his "power and nuance, seldom seen on screen".^[70]

In 2022, his autobiographyScenes From My Life was published. He died a few weeks before the manuscript was completed.^[75]

• Official website
• Michael K. Williams atIMDb
• Michael K. Williams on "Larry King Now"
• Michael K. Williams discography atDiscogs