Michael Kenneth Williams (1966 - 2021)

Born 22 Nov 1966 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 6 Sep 2021 at age 54 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States

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Biography

Michael Williams is Notable.

Michael K. Williams was an American actor, best known for his role of Omar Little in the series The Wire.^[1]

Michael Kenneth Williams was born in 1966. He was the son of Paula Thompson and Booker T. Williams.

He died of an accidental drug overdose in 2021.

Obituary

Michael K. Williams, best known for his role of Omar Little in the series "The Wire" died in his home in Brooklyn of a suspected drug overdose.

Michael was born in November, 1966 to Booker T. and Paula Williams. He was the youngest of 10 children. His father, who was originally from Greeleyville, South Carolina, left the family and had little contact with his son. Paula Williams, was originally from Nassau in the Bahamas, and was a seamstress. She later ran a day care center where Michael worked as a young adult.

Michael was raised in in the Vanderveer Projects in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn. The projects comprised of 57 buildings on almost 30 acres of land, and housed nearly 7000 people, mostly low and moderate income Afro-American and immigrant families.

Michael was molested as a child and had been honest about the long lasting effects of this abuse on his emotional development. As a teenager he became involved with drugs, an addiction that would have impact throughout his life.

Michael enrolled in the National Black Theatre in New York City as a way of leaving his troubled adolescent behind. The acting bug lead to gigs as a dancer in music videos and tours with singers George Michael and Madonna. He also did some work as a model.

When he turned 25, Michael and a group of friends went out to celebrate his birthday at a local hangout. One of the friends was attacked and Michael, in helping to defend him, was slashed in the face by a razor. Cut from the middle of his forehead to right cheek. The scar became his identifying feature and lead to staring roles as a thug and drug dealer in series like "Boardwalk Empire" and "The Wire."

Based on real life Baltimore drug criminal Donnie Andrews, "The Wire's" Omar Little was a life changing role for Michael. Whistling "The Farmer in the Dell" as he approached his target, dressed in a knee length trench coat and with his shot gun at his side, Omar robbed a drug dealer's stash and cash. He took great delight in poking the show's drug kingpin family, the Barksdale's. As an openly gay hoodlum, Omar presented a complex individual. He was eloquent and funny, tender and ruthless, a killer and thief. And while the writers of this fictional series gave Omar some of the series' most memorable lines, it was Michael Williams who made the character memorable.

Michael had a lengthy filmography with over 100 acting credits. Starting with the 1995 production of "Mugshot" as the character Rumor and building to his final portrayal as Montrose Freeman in "Lovecraft Country", Michael characters were often flawed, but captivatin. There are several projects in process that are schedule for posthumous release. In the series "Boardwalk Empire" his role as Chalky White earned him the Screen Actor's Guild award for performance by an ensemble in a drama series and a nomination for the NAACP's Image Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. In total, Michael K. Williams received 24 nominations for various acting awards, with 12 wins.

Michael struggled with addictions throughout his life and openly discussed how those struggles impacted on his career and personal identity.

He passed away in September, 2021. His death was ruled accidental after an autopsy revealed an acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine.”

He is survived by his son, Elijah.

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_K._Williams

• The Washington Post-https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/michael-k-williams-dead/2021/09/06/c6a42590-0f50-11ec-882f-2dd15a067dc4_story.html
• The Washington Post-https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/09/07/fictional-complexity-omar/
• New York Times- https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/06/arts/michael-k-williams-dead.html
• The Guardian- https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/sep/07/michael-k-williams-obituary
• https://www.legit.ng/1373367-michael-k-williams-bio-scar-wife-net-worth-lovecraft-country.html
• Gross, Terry (August 28, 2019). "No Longer Omar: Actor Michael K. Williams On Lucky Breaks And Letting Go". National Public Radio. 
• The Washington Post-https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/09/24/michael-k-williams-accidental-overdose-death/