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), Albert "Chalky" White on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014), and Freddy Knight on the HBO series The Night Of.

Born in Brooklyn, New York City, to an African-American father from South Carolina and a Bahamian mother, Williams enrolled at the National Black Theatre. 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.

Early life and education Michael Kenneth Williams was born on November 22, 1966, in Brooklyn, in New York City, the son of Bahamian-born Paula Thompson and Booker T. Williams, an African-American, from Greeleyville, South Carolina, where his family has deep roots. Williams was raised on New York Avenue near Vanderveer Projects in East Flatbush, and attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School. Later, Williams enrolled at the National Black Theatre in New York City.

Career 1994–2001: Early career and acting-debut Williams worked for Pfizer pharmaceuticals as a temp. 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".

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 and modeling opportunities with noted photographers like David LaChapelle. 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. Shakur reportedly decided on Williams for the role after spotting a Polaroid photograph of him in a production studio.

2002–2008: Breakthrough with The Wire

Williams gained recognition as an actor for his portrayal of Omar Little in The Wire, which began filming in 2002. The character was based on Donnie Andrews, along with other crime figures in Baltimore. Williams received the part after a single audition, at the encouragement of writer Ed Burns. 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.

For his portrayal of Omar, Williams was named by USA 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.

Williams pursued the role because he was intrigued by Omar's contradictory nature. 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.

Williams had a recurring role on J. J. Abrams' Alias. He also had a recurring role on the Abrams-produced Six Degrees. and Third Watch. Williams appeared in The Kill Point as recurring guest star Q, a police sniper, alongside The Wire co-stars J. D. Williams, Michael Hyatt and Leo 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. Williams played a Boston area detective named Devin Amronklin in the 2007 film Gone, Baby, Gone. The film is based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, who has written for The Wire, and was adapted and directed by Ben 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.

2009–2020: Established work and final roles In 2010, Williams appeared in the film Life During Wartime. The character he played, Allen, was portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the film's predecessor, Happiness. Williams starred in the film A Day in the Life, which was directed by, produced by, and starred rapper Sticky Fingaz. The entire film is a musical with every line being delivered in rap verse. Williams starred in HBO's Boardwalk Empire for its five seasons (2010–2014), appearing as Albert "Chalky" White, the leader of 1920s' Atlantic City's black community.

On July 23, 2011, Community creator Dan Harmon revealed that Williams would star in "at least three episodes" of the sitcom's third season. He played the role of Biology Professor Marshall Kane at Greendale Community College. In November 2011, it was announced that Williams would appear in Quentin Tarantino's feature film Django Unchained. 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 with Boardwalk Empire prevented him from doing so. On May 16, 2012, Williams announced that he was an executive producer of the independent film Snow on tha Bluff, Williams' first film under his company, Freedome Productions. On Power 105.1fm's The Breakfast Club, Williams revealed the June 19 release date for Snow on tha Bluff, describing the movie as "real graphic": "everything that is wrong with the 'hood is in this movie". Williams also shared on The Breakfast Club that he was starring in an African American western, They Die by Dawn, with his co-star Snoop from the HBO series The Wire. Williams also revealed that he was starring in the lead role as rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard (ODB) from the Wu-Tang Clan in the movie Dirty 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. and had a cameo appearance in Jay-Z's "Picasso Baby" art film. That same year, Williams appeared in ASAP Rocky's video for "Phoenix". He was also featured modeling for The Gap's 2014 fall collection. In 2013, Williams was the voice actor and motion capture performer for the character Kimble "Irish" Graves in the video game Battlefield 4, reprising the role posthumously in 2022 for Battlefield 2042.

On March 9, 2015, it was announced that Williams would star in SundanceTV's Hap and Leonard, 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" by Marilyn Manson. In 2016, Williams began working with Vice News, hosting a VICELAND program titled Black Market. In the series, he visited various clandestine markets to explore how they operate while investigating the circumstances that generate their clientele. 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 series Vice, Williams embarked on a personal journey to expose the root of the American mass incarceration crisis: the juvenile justice system. Williams was originally cast as Dryden Vos, a crime lord, in Solo: A Star Wars Story, but exited the role after being unable to return for re-shoots due to scheduling conflicts with the film The Red Sea Diving Resort. Paul Bettany was cast in his place, with the character being reworked from a motion-capture alien to a human. In 2020, he played Montrose Freeman on the HBO series Lovecraft Country.

Personal life 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. 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.

Death 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. His private funeral was held at St. Stephen's Episcopal Cathedral in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where his mother lives. 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. Félix Bautista of the Baltimore Orioles began entering the game to Omar's whistle as a tribute.

In February 2022, police arrested four men in connection with Williams' death. In April 2023, drug dealer Irvin Cartagena pleaded guilty to selling the mix of heroin and fentanyl to Williams that resulted in his death. In July 2023, four men took guilty pleas and Carlos Macci, one of the men, was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison.

Artistry and legacy Williams also served as the American Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador to the Campaign for Smart Justice. Williams' portrayal of openly gay characters was deemed revolutionary. He has been described as a "singular presence, onscreen and off, who made every role his own". Williams's portrayal of Omar Little has been called one of the best in the history of television. His performance as Omar was widely-acclaimed, leading to praise from President Barack Obama and a nomination for NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series in 2007. 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".

Filmography

Film + List of Michael K. Williams film credits Year Title Role Notes 1996 Bullet High Top Mugshot Rumor 1998 The Substitute 2: School's Out Gang Member (uncredited) 1999 Bringing Out the Dead Drug Dealer 2000 Broke Even Kenny 2004 Doing Hard Time Curtis Craig Video 2005 Guile Ken Short Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 1–12 Sgt. James Video short; part of the series Trapped in the Closet 2006 Bondage Willie Mercenary for Justice Samuel Kay Video 5up 2down Terance 2007 Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 13–22 Sgt. James Video short Trapped in the Closet: The BIG Package Sgt. James Video short (Chapters 1–22) I Think I Love My Wife Teddy Gone Baby Gone Devin 2008 The Incredible Hulk Harlem Bystander KeAnthony: A Hustlaz Story Shawn Short Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club Tone Video Miracle at St. Anna Tucker (Scared Soldier) 2009 Brooklyn's Finest Red Tell-Tale Acherton Wonderful World Ibu The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll Sonnyboy A Kiss of Chaos Demetrius Addicts Lil J A Day in the Life Killer Mike The Road Thief Life During Wartime Allen 2011 Bayou Black Willy Jones Short You're Nobody 'til Somebody Kills You A.D. 2012 LUV Det. Holloway Crispus Attucks: Today Was a Good Day Himself Short W8 (Weight) Derrick Jones / Dee Short The Wire: The Musical Omar Little Short Nobody's Nobody's Emeka Short Trapped in the Closet: The Next Installment Sgt. James Video short (Chapters 23–33) 2013 Snitch Malik 12 Years a Slave Robert Plant Hunter Plant Hunter Short They Die by Dawn Nat Love The Devil Goes Down The Devil Short Fairfield County Leonard Short 2014 RoboCop Jack Lewis The Purge: Anarchy Carmelo Johns Time Out of Mind Mike Kill the Messenger Ricky Ross Inherent Vice Tariq Khalil The Gambler Neville Baraka 2015 Anesthesia Jeffrey Captive Det. John Chestnut 2016 The Land Pops Triple 9 Sweet Pea Ghostbusters Agent Hawkins When the Bough Breaks Roland Against the Wall Man Short Assassin's Creed Moussa 2017 Above the Noise Short 2018 The Public Jackson Superfly Scatter 2019 The Red Sea Diving Resort Kabede Bimro Motherless Brooklyn Trumpet Man Father Grandfather Short About The People The Senator Short 2020 Arkansas Almond Critical Thinking Mr. Roundtree Beastie Boys Story Bob Dylan 2021 Body Brokers Wood 2022 Breaking Eli Bernard Posthumous release2023 Surrounded Will Clay2024 The Brown Dog Nobody Animated short; posthumous release

Television + List of Michael K. Williams television credits Year Title Role Notes 1997 Law & Order Delmore Walton Episode: "Shadow" 2001 Law & Order Marcus Cole Episode: "A Losing Season" Deadline Darin Episode: "The Undesirables" The Sopranos Ray Ray Episode: "Army of One" 2002 Third Watch Cop #1 Episode: "Superheroes Part 2" 2002–2008 The Wire Omar Little Recurring cast (seasons 1–2), main cast (seasons 3–5); 42 episodes 2003 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Double-D Gamble Episode: "Escape" 2005 Lackawanna Blues Jimmy TV movie Alias Roberts Recurring cast (season 4) Boston Legal Randall Kirk Episode: "Gone" CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Ronnie Episode: "Hollywood Brass" 2005–2012 Trapped in the Closet Sgt. James Chapters 1–12, Chapters 13–22, The BIG Package (Chapters 1–22), and The Next Installment (Chapters 23–33) 2006 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Victor Bodine Episode: "Underbelly" 2006–2007 Six Degrees Michael Recurring cast 2007 The Kill Point Quincy Recurring cast 2008 Human Giant Chris Barksdale Episode: "Respect. Honor. Discipline." CSI: NY Reggie Dunham Episode: "The Box" 2009 Law & Order Charles Cole Episode: "Great Satan" The Philanthropist Dax Vahagn Main cast 2010 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Laurent Senyabou/Matthew Babajide Episode: "World's End" 2010–2014 Boardwalk Empire Chalky White Main cast; 35 episodes 2011 Detroit 1-8-7 Clarence Warrenton Episode: "Legacy/Drag City" Aqua Teen Hunger Force Unnamed Citizen (voice) Episode: "Allen Part Two" The Cookout 2 Cable Guy Mike TV movie 2011–2012 Community Dr. Marshall Kane Recurring cast (season 3) 2013 Walk This Way Rev. Daniels Main cast High School USA! Lucius (voice) Episode: "Adderall" 2014 Lucas Bros. Moving Co. Satan / Nigerian Dude (voice) Episode: "A/C Tundra" I Love the 2000s Himself 10 episodes 2015 Bessie Jack Gee TV movie The Spoils Before Dying Rock Banyon Main cast 2016 The Night Of Freddy Knight Main cast Black Market with Michael K. Williams Himself 14 episodes 2016–2018 Hap and Leonard Leonard Pine Main cast 2017 When We Rise Ken Jones Main cast 2017–2021 F Is for Family Smokey Greenwood (voice) Recurring cast (seasons 2–5) 2018 The Guest Book Gabe Episode: "Someplace Other Than Here" Vice Himself Episode: "Raised in the System" 2019 Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Richard Sackler Episode: "Opioids II" When They See Us Bobby McCray Main cast 2020 Lovecraft Country Montrose Freeman Main cast

Theater Year Title Role Venue Ref.2007 The 24 Hour Plays Gehring American Airlines Theatre, Broadway

Video games + List of Michael K. Williams video game credits Year Title Role Notes 2013 Battlefield 4 Sgt. Kimble "Irish" Graves Voice and motion capture 2020 NBA 2K21 Archie Baldwin Voice and motion capture 2021 Battlefield 2042 Cpt. Kimble "Irish" Graves Posthumous; voice and motion capture

Awards and nominations