Michael Kenneth Williams
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Michael Kenneth Williams (November 22, 1966, Brooklyn, New York - September 6, 2021) was an American actor whose early career began not in front of a camera but on a dance floor. After leaving school, he worked as a professional dancer and choreographer, performing alongside artists including George Michael and Madonna. A bar fight in his twenties left him with a prominent facial scar that, combined with his natural charisma, ultimately became an asset when he turned to acting. His first film credit came opposite Tupac Shakur in the 1996 drama Bullet.
Williams rose to wide recognition for his portrayal of Omar Little, the fearless stick-up man with a strict personal code of honor, in the HBO crime drama The Wire (2002-2008). The role, originally planned for just seven episodes, became one of the defining television performances of the 2000s, and Williams played Omar across all five seasons. He later starred as Chalky White, a Prohibition-era crime boss, in Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014), earning further critical acclaim. Other notable film credits include The Road (2009), 12 Years a Slave (2013), and Inherent Vice (2014).
In Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016), Williams played Agent Hawkins, a federal agent who, alongside Agent Rorke (played by Matt Walsh), monitors the Ghostbusters' activities on behalf of the Mayor's office. Williams had previously worked with director Paul Feig on the series Other Space (2015), which also featured several other actors who appeared in the film.
Williams died on September 6, 2021, at his Brooklyn apartment at the age of 54. His death was attributed to accidental fentanyl intoxication.