Michael K. Williams, who rose to fame for his portrayal of Omar on HBO’s The Wire, has died at the age of 54.
According to the NY Post, Williams was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment by his nephew Monday afternoon. Sources told the outlet drug paraphernalia was found in the penthouse on Kent Avenue, suggesting a possible overdose.
In March, Williams won a Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Montrose Freeman in Lovecraft Country. He told us during the virtual press interviews following his win, “I made a decision very early on in my career that the two things I will go for when I’m asked to do a role is I will look for the truth and I will tell that truth with as much compassion and as much empathy as I can.”
Additional HBO projects for Williams included Boardwalk Empire and the biopic Bessie, for which he received a Primetime Emmy nomination. He also had supporting roles in a number of other TV series and films throughout his career, including Gone Baby Gone, 12 Years a Slave, When They See Us, and The Night Of. He received Primetime Emmy nomination for the latter two projects as well.
In June, Williams was a part of a tribute to DMX, who died of a drug overdose at the age of 50 on April 9, at the BET Awards.
The actor was a native New Yorker, born November 22, 1966, in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to a mother from Nassau, Bahamas, and a father from South Carolina.
