Sad... indeed. Michael K Williams, Omar in ‘The Wire’, dies at 54
NEW YORK: American actor Michael K Williams, one of TV’S most memorable stars of recent years for his role as Omar Little in ‘The Wire,’ has been found dead in his New York City apartment, police said Monday.
News of the death of the 54-year-old, who starred as the iconic Baltimore stick-up man in the groundbreaking TV series, triggered an outpouring of grief from fans and former colleagues.
The actor’s representative said it was “with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams.” “They ask for your privacy while grieving this,” said the statement from Shafran PR.
An officer for the New York Police Department told AFP that Williams had been found dead in his apartment in Brooklyn by a family member.
He had been widely hailed for his role in ‘The Wire,’ in which he played a gay armed robber who specialised in holding up drug dealers. The series became one of the most popular TV shows and ran through five seasons from 2002 until 2008.
Williams was also wellknown for the role of Albert ‘Chalky’ White on the HBO series ‘Boardwalk Empire.’
He received multiple Emmy nominations for his work, including for his turn in the series ‘Lovecraft Country,’ ahead of the 2021 ceremony that will take place in under two weeks.
Minutes after the news of his death broke, social media was flooded with fans paying tribute to the actor. Several made references to meme derived out of the actor’s delivery of the words “Oh, indeed” in the first season of The Wire.
No official cause of death was given, but several US media quoted law enforcement sources as saying they suspected a possible drug overdose.
Williams had spoken openly of his past struggles with drug addiction, and had told US media that he had spent much of his earnings from ‘The Wire’ on narcotics.
The NYPD told AFP the cause of death will be determined by a medical examiner.