Michael K Williams (Omar from the Wire) found dead
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Wilt
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:16 pm    Post subject: Michael K Williams (Omar from the Wire) found dead

Breaking now.

Possible overdose.

Added by CL:

NYT: Michael K. Williams, Omar From ‘The Wire,’ Is Dead at 54

Quote:
Michael K. Williams, the actor best known for his role as Omar Little, a stickup man with a sharp wit and a sawed-off shotgun in the HBO series “The Wire,” was found dead on Monday in his home in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, the police said. He was 54.

Mr. Williams was found about 2 p.m., according to the New York City Police Department. The death is being investigated and the city’s medical examiner will determine the cause.

His longtime representative, Marianna Shafran, confirmed the death in a statement and said the family was grappling with “deep sorrow” at “this insurmountable loss.”

Mr. Williams grew up in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, where he said he had never envisioned a life outside the borough. But before he was 30, he had parlayed his love for dance into dancing roles with the singers George Michael and Madonna, and then landed his first acting opportunity with another artist, Tupac Shakur.

Within a few years, he appeared in more roles, including as a drug dealer in the movie “Bringing Out the Dead,” which was directed by Martin Scorsese. Then in 2002 came “The Wire,” David Simon’s five-season epic on HBO that explored the gritty underworld of corruption, drugs and the police in Baltimore.

Mr. Williams played Omar Little, a charming vigilante who held up low-level drug dealers, perhaps the most memorable character on a series many consider among the best shows in television history.

Off camera, however, his life was often in disarray. He wasted his earnings from “The Wire” on drugs, a spiral that led him to living out of a suitcase on the floor of a house in Newark, an experience he described with candor in an article that appeared on nj.com in 2012.

He finished filming the series with support from his church in Newark, but the drug addiction stayed. In 2008, he had a moment of clarity at a Barack Obama presidential rally in Pennsylvania. With Mr. Williams in the crowd with his mother, Mr. Obama remarked that “The Wire” was the best show on television and that Omar Little was his favorite character.

They met afterward, but Mr. Williams, who was high, could barely speak. “Hearing my name come out of his mouth woke me up,” Mr. Williams told The New York Times in 2017. “I realized that my work could actually make a difference.”

Mr. Williams received five Emmy Award nominations, including one in the upcoming Primetime Emmy Awards this month. He was nominated this year for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for his portrayal of Montrose Freeman on the HBO show “Lovecraft Country.”

A full obituary will appear soon.

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:16 pm    Post subject:

Oh damn.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:25 pm    Post subject:

Damn. That sucks, especially if the OD thing is true. I heard him not too long ago on Maron talking about his addiction struggles and his efforts not to relapse and he was currently winning. A great actor and thoughtful, passionate guy.
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Last edited by DaMuleRules on Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:53 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:30 pm    Post subject:

He was a versatile actor. Michael wore his razor scar with pride. Drugs are a bane of acting. It may be needed by some to get into character. RIP
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:34 pm    Post subject:

Horrible news. Damn.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:38 pm    Post subject:

Damn Kenard got him!

Jokes aside. Rest in piece Michael K Williams. The world lost you way too early.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 12:46 pm    Post subject:

Damn, RIP man. his memory will live on, his performance as Omar Little was iconic and actually kinda groundbreaking in its time really.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 1:06 pm    Post subject:

Ray Ray from Sopz. Chalky from BE.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 1:14 pm    Post subject:

Oh no
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:03 pm    Post subject:

Damn, RIP
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:23 pm    Post subject:

RIP. 54...
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:25 pm    Post subject:

Oh no.

RIP
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:28 pm    Post subject:

Omar Little wrote:
Oh damn.


Fitting you were the first response to this post.

I heard of the guy but I never watched The Wire.


I did hear someone mention he did a tribute for DMX earlier this year which I found rather eerie considering.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:29 pm    Post subject:

A talented man. RIP. 🙏🏿
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 2:49 pm    Post subject:

jesus...a fine, fine actor. one of my favorites. and a good guy, apparently.

rip
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 4:26 pm    Post subject:

Oh man....very sorry to hear of this.

I was a big fan of his acting. Respects to his family and friends, way too young.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 6:01 pm    Post subject:

Very sad news.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 7:56 pm    Post subject:

Omar Little wrote:
Oh damn.

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 8:11 pm    Post subject:

"The game is out there. And it's either play or get played."

R.I.P
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2021 9:02 pm    Post subject:

numero-ocho wrote:
"The game is out there. And it's either play or get played."

R.I.P


Reminds me of the opening scene of The Wire when McNulty asks the kid why they continue to let the notorious cheater keep throwing dice with them and the kid says, “got to . . . this is America”.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 07, 2021 7:12 am    Post subject:

Omar Little wrote:
Oh damn.


Didn’t know someone was trying to be like you on TV, that means he was really special.. RIP.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 07, 2021 7:05 pm    Post subject:

I re-listened to the interview on Marc Maron's WTF podcast today. I had totally forgotten that he was on to discuss Body Brokers, the film about the corruption in drug rehab facility racket. It just drives home how horrible his apparent relapse OD was. As Michael says in the interview, "relapse is a part of my life, but I'm good today".

It also may be looking like he was yet another victim of the Fentanyl cutting that is going on with cocaine and heroin these days—same thing that killed comedian Fuquan Johnson and two others the other day.

Anyway, Marc Maron has reposted the interview for free. It's a poignant listen that I would recommend for anyone who was fan of Michael's work.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:26 am    Post subject:

DaMuleRules wrote:
I re-listened to the interview on Marc Maron's WTF podcast today. I had totally forgotten that he was on to discuss Body Brokers, the film about the corruption in drug rehab facility racket. It just drives home how horrible his apparent relapse OD was. As Michael says in the interview, "relapse is a part of my life, but I'm good today".

It also may be looking like he was yet another victim of the Fentanyl cutting that is going on with cocaine and heroin these days—same thing that killed comedian Fuquan Johnson and two others the other day.

Anyway, Marc Maron has reposted the interview for free. It's a poignant listen that I would recommend for anyone who was fan of Michael's work.


Thanks for posting the link to Maron's interview with Michael K. Williams. Will likely re-binge The Night Of and follow that up with Body Brokers.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 7:32 pm    Post subject:

goodbye prince of New York
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 09, 2021 4:01 am    Post subject:

DaMuleRules wrote:
I re-listened to the interview on Marc Maron's WTF podcast today. I had totally forgotten that he was on to discuss Body Brokers, the film about the corruption in drug rehab facility racket. It just drives home how horrible his apparent relapse OD was. As Michael says in the interview, "relapse is a part of my life, but I'm good today".

It also may be looking like he was yet another victim of the Fentanyl cutting that is going on with cocaine and heroin these days—same thing that killed comedian Fuquan Johnson and two others the other day.

Anyway, Marc Maron has reposted the interview for free. It's a poignant listen that I would recommend for anyone who was fan of Michael's work.


Wonder if fentanyl or just an OD after losing tolerance a la Sid Vicious. Or both.
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