The Wire actor Michael K Williams found dead in New York flat
- Williams, 54, was found dead on Monday, New York City police said. His death was being investigated as a possible drug overdose, the NYPD said
- Williams was known for roles on TV shows The Wire, Boardwalk Empire and Lovecraft Country, and in the films 12 Years a Slave and Assassin’s Creed
Actor Michael K Williams, who as the rogue robber of drug dealers Omar Little on The Wire created one of the most popular characters in television in recent decades, died on Monday.
Williams was found dead on Monday afternoon in his Brooklyn penthouse flat, New York City police said. He was 54.
His death was being investigated as a possible drug overdose, the NYPD said.
Little, a “stickup boy” based on real figures from Baltimore, was probably the most beloved character among the devoted fans of The Wire, the HBO show that ran from 2002 to 2008.
The Brooklyn-born Williams was also a ubiquitous character actor in other shows and films for more than two decades, including roles on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire and Lovecraft Country, and in the films 12 Years a Slave and Assassin’s Creed.
As Little, he played a criminal with a strict moral code, known for taking advantage of a reputation for brutality that wasn’t always real.
