Michael K Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire) 1966-2021

[Old School]

Wikipedia (Bio) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_K._Williams


IMDB (Career Info) https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0931324/




Vanity Fair: Michael K. Williams Breaks Down His Career, from 'The Wire' to 'Lovecraft Country'. Michael Kenneth Williams takes us through his storied acting career, breaking down his roles in 'Bullet,' 'Bringing Out the Dead,' 'The Sopranos,' 'The Wire,' 'Boardwalk Empire,' 'The Gambler,' 'Bessie,' 'The Night Of,' 'When We Rise,' 'Viceland,' 'Hap & Leonard,' 'When They See Us' and 'Lovecraft Country.'




CBS New York: CBS2's Cory James has reaction from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where the 54-year-old actor's body was discovered inside his penthouse.



CNN https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/06/enter...ams/index.html



Michael K. Williams, ‘The Wire’ and ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Star, Dead at 54

Celebrated actor who also appeared in Lovecraft County found dead inside his Brooklyn home

Michael K. Williams, an actor best known for his role as Omar Little on HBO's "The Wire," has died. He was 54.

Williams was found dead in his New York City apartment Monday afternoon, a law enforcement official told CNN.

Investigators found drug paraphernalia near his body, the official said. The investigation is ongoing, according to another law enforcement source who spoke to CNN.

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"It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams. They ask for your privacy while grieving this unsurmountable loss," his long-time rep Marianna Shafran of Shafran PR told The Hollywood Reporter https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv...54-1235009002/.

CNN has contacted representatives of Williams for comment.

In a 2017 interview with the New York Times, Williams spoke openly about his struggles with substance abuse.

"Addiction doesn't go away," he said at the time. "It's an everyday struggle for me, but I'm fighting."

Williams, a Brooklyn native, most recently appeared in HBO's "Lovecraft Country" and the series "F Is for Family."

He became an almost iconic figure for many thanks to his role in "The Wire" as Omar Little, a shotgun-wielding character who made his living robbing drug dealers. He followed that up as a mobster in the HBO Prohibition-era mob drama "Boardwalk Empire," and most recently earned an Emmy nomination for another series on the pay network, the macabre "Lovecraft Country."

Williams was next slated to co-star in Sony's George Foreman biopic from George Tillman Jr., who was set to direct.

Williams amassed a number of accolades during his storied career, including five Emmy nominations. His first was in 2015 for his role in "Bessie" and another followed two years later for his part in "The Night Of."

He was also the winner of a SAG Award for best ensemble with the cast of "Boardwalk Empire."

On social media, Williams' many colleagues and friends recalled the depth, complexity and humanity he brought to his characters on screen and, above all, the man he was off screen.

"Michael K Williams was a beautiful, passionate, expansive soul. I felt so lucky to have known him, and we were all so fortunate to have enjoyed his incredible talent," Aisha Tyler wrote on Twitter. "He burned so very bright."

Director James Gunn added: "Michael K Williams, in addition to being one of the most talented actors around, was also one of the kindest, sweetest, most gentle souls I've ever met. This is heartbreaking. My thoughts are with all those who loved him."

Musician Saul Williams wrote: "For years Wikipedia listed Michael K. Williams as my brother. Neither one of us chose to correct it, instead we took it at its word. 'We're brothers, yo.' He shared poems with me. We broke bread & kicked it whenever we could. A deep & sincere connection. A beautiful spirit."

His "Wire" co-star Wendell Pierce also joined the chorus of remembrances with a touching tribute.

"The depth of my love for this brother, can only be matched by the depth of my pain learning of his loss," he wrote. "A immensely talented man with the ability to give voice to the human condition portraying the lives of those whose humanity is seldom elevated until he sings their truth."

[TMC]

Omar Little is the most iconic character on one of the greatest shows on TV. This essay examines the legacy of Omar, how the character's unique position within the show's structure, and an incredible performance from Michael K Williams made him great.

This video contains spoilers for The Wire.

[JamesG]

"The Wire" Creator David Simon Urges Leniency in Sentencing of Dealer who Sold Fatal Fentanyl to Michael K. Williams
by Greg Evans
July 7, 2023


"The Wire" co-creator and producer David Simon is urging a Manhattan judge to show leniency in sentencing the 71-year-old man who sold the fentanyl that resulted in the 2021 death actor Michael K. Williams.

In a three-page letter obtained by The New York Times, Simon asks Federal District Court Judge Ronnie Abrams to show mercy in the upcoming sentencing of Carlos Macci, one of four men who has pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing the narcotics that took Williams’ life in September 2021.




“What happened to Mike is a grievous tragedy,” Simon wrote in the letter, according to The Times. “But I know that Michael would look upon the undone and desolate life of Mr. Macci and know two things with certainty: First, that it was Michael who bears the fuller responsibility for what happened.”

Simon continues that, secondly, “No possible good can come from incarcerating a 71-year-old soul, largely illiterate, who has himself struggled with a lifetime of addiction.” Simon writes that Macci sold drugs not for profit “but rather as someone caught up in the diaspora of addiction himself.”

https://deadline.com/2023/07/david-s...re-1235432000/

[JamesG]

Man Sentenced in Connection with Death of Michael K. Williams
by Armando Tinoco
July 25, 2023


Carlos Macci, the 72-year-old man who was arrested on drug trafficking charges in connection to the death of actor Michael K. Williams was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison.

“I would like to say, your honor, I’m sorry for what has happened,” Macci said, according to AP.

Aside from the prison sentence, Macci would also have three years of supervised release with the first year as an inpatient in a drug treatment facility.



Macci had pleaded guilty to the charges that included distributing narcotics and conspiring to possess.

During the sentencing, Williams’s nephew Dominic Dupont considered Macci would turn his life around saying, “It weighs heavy on me to see someone be in a situation he’s in. I understand what it is to be system impacted.”

https://deadline.com/2023/07/man-sen...ms-1235448261/