Michael K. Williams drug overdose death: The Wire actor found dead at his Brooklyn penthouse surrounded by drug paraphernalia. Heroin or fentanyl overdose suspected.
Life mirroring art. Famed ‘The Wire’ actor Michael K. Williams was found dead of a suspected drug overdose in his Brooklyn penthouse Monday afternoon according to reports.
Drug paraphernalia was found in the five-time Emmy nominee’s apartment, implicating that the acclaimed 54-year-old actor may have fatally overdosed, possibly from heroin or fentanyl, sources told the nypost.
‘No foul play indicated,’ a police source told the tabloid. ‘No forced entry, the apartment was in order.’
Michael Kenneth Williams was found dead by his nephew in the living room of his Kent Avenue pad in the luxury Williamsburg high-rise, sources said.
The NYPD confirmed to Variety that the actor was found deceased today at 2 p.m. inside of his residence.
Williams was born in Brooklyn and raised in the projects of East Flatbush at Vanderveer Estates NYCHA housing. He was the co-founder and an advocate of We Build the Block.
The Flatbush native — currently a 2021 Emmy Award nominee as best supporting actor for ‘Lovecraft Country’ — was famous for his role as Omar Little in the gritty TV series ‘The Wire,’ and as Chalky White in ‘Boardwalk Empire.’
Williams had been open about his personal struggles with drugs through the years, including during the filming of ‘The Wire,’ saying that getting so into the role of Little, who robs drug dealers, affected him in real life.
Williams grew up in the projects of East Flatbush, Brooklyn. His childhood was one spent growing up in surroundings where drugs and violence were commonplace.
In an interview with The New York Times Williams told of being sexually molested as a young boy. He said that the experience left him confused about his own sexuality and causing him to be withdrawn.
Williams was open about his struggles with drug addiction. Since the age of 19, he went in and out of clinics to seek treatment.
The acclaimed actor told NPR in 2016 that he once stumbled into a church in New Jersey desperately seeking help for his addiction.
‘I was broken’
‘When I came through those doors, I was broken. … This was, I would say, around the … third season of ‘The Wire,’’ Williams said.
‘I was on drugs. … I was in jeopardy of destroying everything I had worked so hard for, and I came in those doors, and I met a man who had never even heard of ‘The Wire,’ much less watched it,’ he said, referring to the pastor.
‘I wrote my full name down — Michael Kenneth Williams — and in the office, [the pastor] turns around, and he says, ‘So what do you want to be called, man?’ I said, ‘Well, you know, my name is Michael, but I could do Mike.’ He says, ‘Why does everybody say, ‘Omar, Omar’s in trouble?’ ” And I was like, ‘Oh, this dude is clueless [about the show],’’ Williams said.
It remained unclear how long the famed actor had been abusing drugs and what led to him overdosing over the long weekend.
