Michael Kenneth Williams

Michael Kenneth Williams (November 22, 1966 – September 6, 2021) was an American actor. He rose to fame in 2002 through his critically acclaimed role as Omar Little on the HBO drama series ''The Wire''. He has been described as a "singular presence, onscreen and off, who made every role his own".

Born in Brooklyn, New York City, to a South Carolinian father 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 attain acting work, initially alongside Tupac Shakur in the 1996 film '' Bullet'' before being cast in ''The Wire'' in 2002. 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.

Williams also played Albert "Chalky" White on the HBO series '' Boardwalk Empire'' from 2010 to 2014. He 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 series ''The Night Of'' (2016) and ''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'' (2006), ''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).

Williams 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.

Williams' portrayal of Omar Little has been called one of the best in the history of television. 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. In the aftermath of his death, he was subject to 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".

Early life and education

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

Career

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 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, 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.

Williams also served as the American Civil Liberties Union celebrity ambassador to the Campaign for Smart Justice. Williams' portrayals of openly gay characters was deemed to be revolutionary.

''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. However, creator David Simon stated that they always planned to keep the character as part of the continuing ensemble should the show be renewed beyond one 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. Omar has been named as one of the first season's richest characters, a Robin Hood of Baltimore's west side projects. The ''Baltimore 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". In 2007, he was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Omar.

Williams pursued the role because he was intrigued by Omar's contradictory nature. He felt Omar's popularity stemmed from his honesty, lack of materialism, individuality and his adherence to his strict code. He felt that the role has been a breakthrough in terms of bringing attention to him and getting further roles. 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.

In 2008, then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama cited ''The 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."

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

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