The star of ‘The Wire’, actor Michael K. Williams, is found dead in his New York City apartment
‘The Wire’ star, Michael K. Williams, 54, is found dead of suspected heroin overdose in living room of his Brooklyn penthouse surrounded by drug paraphernalia
Five-time Emmy nominee was found dead on Monday in the living room of his Brooklyn penthouse apartment His nephew went to check on Williams after not hearing from him for two days, according to an online report Drug paraphernalia was found near his body, suggesting a possible drug overdose, New York Post reported Williams has spoken in past years about his struggles with drug addiction; He is survived by a son, ElijahHe is best known for his portrayal of Omar Little in the groundbreaking HBO hit series The Wire Williams also appeared on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire and alongside Queen Latifah in the biopic Bessie
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‘The Wire’ star Michael K. Williams has been found dead of a suspected heroin overdose inside his luxury Brooklyn penthouse.
The 54-year-old was discovered unconscious and face-down in the living room of his Williamsburg apartment by his nephew on Monday afternoon, a law enforcement source told The New York Post.
A doorman subsequently called 911 claiming Williams was ‘unresponsive’ and ‘felt cold’. Medics rushed to the scene, but declared the actor dead at 2:12pm.
Williams’ nephew went around to the apartment complex to check up on the star, who hadn’t been heard from in several days.
Heroin was said to be found on the star’s kitchen table, and drug paraphernalia was allegedly discovered elsewhere in the apartment.
A police source told The Post: ‘No foul play is indicated. [There was] no forced entry, and the apartment was in order.’
Williams’ nephew was inconsolable after making the grim discovery. He was seen weeping outside the apartment complex as he stated: ‘I found the body’.
A woman claiming to be married to Williams’ nephew told DailyMail.com that she was also there at the time Williams’ body was found. She disputed reports the death was drug related.
‘I was with my husband when he found him,’ she said. ‘We’re devastated.’
Asked about reports that he died from an apparent drug overdose, she replied, ‘That’s not factual. We don’t have anything more to say at this time.’
Dupont paid tribute to William, telling DailyMail.com: ‘He meant everything to us. He was a wonderful, beautiful, loving person. He’d give you the shirt off his back. He was always there to help anybody who needed him, whether family or friends. It’s a great loss to us.’
Williams, a five-time Emmy nominee, was best known for his role in HBO’s ‘The Wire’. He played gay stick-up man Omar Little in the critically acclaimed series, which ran from 2002 to 2008. President Barack Obama once described ‘The Wire’ as his favorite show and Omar as his favorite character.
HBO released a statement following news of Williams death, which read: ‘We are devastated to learn of the passing of Michael K. Williams, a member of the HBO family for more than 20 years. While the world is aware of his immense talents as an artist, we knew Michael as a dear friend who was beloved by all who had the privilege to work with him. We send our deepest condolences to his family for this immeasurable loss.’
After The Wire, Williams went on to star in several other hit HBO shows, including Boardwalk Empire and Lovecraft Country – for which he is currently nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
He is survived by an adult son named Elijah.
Williams was last linked to actress Tasha Smith, who last shared a snap of herself with Williams late last year.
The star of ‘The Wire’, actor Michael K. Williams, has been found dead in his New York City apartment. Williams is seen above as Omar Little from The Wire
A law enforcement source confirmed to the New York Post that the 54-year-old he was found in his Brooklyn apartment by his nephew on Monday afternoon. Williams is seen right as a character from the show Boardwalk Empire
Williams was discovered inside his penthouse apartment, located in the trendy Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. The expensive complex is located on the waterfront and features sweeping views out over to Manhattan
A medical examiner is seen outside the apartment complex on Monday afternoon
A swarm of police officers were also spotted on the scene, after Williams’ nephew purportedly phoned 911 just after 2pm. They are pictured removing evidence bags from the actor’s apartment
An old real estate listing photo shows the living area of Williams’ Brooklyn apartment
One of the bedrooms inside Williams’ apartment is seen in a listing photo
By late afternoon, a number of Williams’ nephews were seen outside the apartment complex.
One of the men, Arvance Williams, called the death of his uncle ‘heartbreaking’.
‘I was just with him. I just bought him some fabric so he can go to the Emmys, to put under his blazer. He just got nominated for an Emmy, and he was going to LA, so he was real excited about that,’ he stated.
Arvance Williams claimed he was meant to travel with his uncle to Pennsylvania for Labor Day Weekend, before their plans changed.
‘You guys know him as the actor, we know him as Uncle Mike. We love him,’ he stated.
‘My uncle was such a sweet person. A lot of the characters he played as mean and gangster. It was a joke, because he was totally not that way. Hw was a sweetheart. … A very gentle, gentle person. And I just look at some of the stuff he was doing [on screen] and I would just laugh because that’s totally not him.’
By late afternoon, a number of Williams’ nephews were seen outside the apartment complex. One of the men, Arvance Williams, called the death of his uncle ‘heartbreaking’
Another nephew, Booker T. Williams (in glasses), was seen hugging a friend outside the apartment complex
Williams was last linked to actress Tasha Smith, who last shared a snap of herself with Williams late last year
Smith and Williams are seen in an old social media snap. She has now yet shared a public statement in regards to Williams’ death
Williams was born in East Flatbush, Brooklyn and spent he spent his childhood in the projects surrounded by drugs and violence.
As a young boy, he was sexually molested. He told The New York Times that that experience left him confused about his own sexuality and caused him to be withdrawn.
On the eve of his 25th birthday, in 1991, Williams attempted to intervene when a group of muggers jumped one of his friends. One of the assailants pulled out a knife and slashed him, leaving him with a long, distinctive scar down the front of his face and neck.
Williams eventually enrolled in New York City’s National Black Theatre, and kickstarted his career as a dancer, scoring parts in music videos by Madonna and George Michael.
Williams made his film debut in 1996, appearing alongside Tupac Shakur in the film Bullet.
Three years later, he played a drug dealer in Martin Scorsese’s Bringing Out the Dead. He also landed a brief cameo in the HBO hit show The Sopranos.
However, in 2002, he landed the definitive role for his career, playing Omar Little in The Wire.
Williams is survived by an adult son named Elijah. The pair are pictured together in a snap shared to Instagram by Williams this past January
Williams is seen alongside co-star Dominic West in The Wire
Williams was open about his struggles with drug addiction. Since the age of 19, he went in and out of clinics to seek treatment.
During his years filming The Wire, Williams relapsed. In 2005, he entered a church in New Jersey seeking help with his drug problem.
‘When I came through those doors, I was broken. … This was, I would say, around the … third season of The Wire,’ Williams told National Public Radio in 2016.
‘I was on drugs. … I was in jeopardy of destroying everything I had worked so hard for,’ he stated.
Williams struggled to stay sober during the remaining years that he filmed the show. He recalled meeting Obama while high on cocaine at a campaign rally around the time the show wrapped in 2008.
‘Hearing my name come out of his mouth woke me up,’ Williams recalled in an interview with The New York Times. ‘I realized that my work could actually make a difference.’
Despite his ongoing drug struggles, Williams enjoyed continued success following the conclusion of The Wire.
From 2010 to 2014, he played Chalky White on Boardwalk Empire. He also appeared in films including 12 Years A Slave, Inherent Vice, and Motherless Brooklyn.
In 2019, he returned to the small screen, starring in the Netflix miniseries When They See Us, which earned him another Emmy nod.
Last year, he played Montrose Freeman in the HBO series Lovecraft Country.
Williams is pictured last January at Paris Fashion Week.
Last year, Williams played Montrose Freeman in the HBO series Lovecraft Country (pictured). He is currently nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role
Shortly after news of Williams’ death broke, tributes from the actor’s celebrity friends started to pour in. Alec Baldwin, Amy Schumer and John Cusack all penned tributes.
Williams’ The Wire co-star also shared an emotional tribute to Twitter, writing: ‘The depth of my love for this brother, can only be matched by the depth of my pain learning of his loss.
‘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.
‘If you don’t know, you better ask somebody. His name was Michael K. Williams. He shared with me his secret fears then stepped out into his acting with true courage, acting in the face of fear, not in the absence of it. It took me years to learn what Michael had in abundance.’
Elsewhere, director James Gunn tweeted: ‘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.’
Aisha Taylor added : ‘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. He burned so very bright. Rest in power, MKW. You will forever be The King.’
Former NBA star Rex Chapman tweeted: ‘Devastating. The talent. What a life and career.
‘One of the best television characters of all time. Omar Little.
‘Rest, Michael K Williams…’
