Following Michael K. Williams‘ sudden passing, his friends, fellow actors and directors are paying tribute to the talented star.
„The Wire“ creator David Simon wrote in on Twitter that he was „gutted.“ Williams played Omar on the classic HBO series. „Michael was a fine man and a rare talent and on our journey together he always deserved the best words. And today those words won’t come,“ Simon wrote. Wendell Pierce, who starred with Williams in „The Wire“ as Detective Bunk Moreland, wrote, „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.“ He continued: „He was proud of the artist he had become, asking for my advice long after he had surpassed any incite I could have shared, Always truthful, never inauthentic. The kindest of persons. Like two mischievous kids, we would laugh & joke whenever we would meet. Like Baltimore years ago, THE WIRE brought us together and immortalized Omar & Bunk in that ’scene‘ on a park bench. But for us we aimed to take that moment in time together and say something about Black men. Our struggle with ourselves, internally, and each other. For me & Mike we had nothing but respect. So to you, my brother Mike, there is a small comfort that I know, you knew how much we loved you.“ Williams was found dead at his home in Brooklyn on Monday. He was 54.
