Michael K. Williams Career Retrospective | SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations

Career Q&A with Michael K. Williams. Moderated by Jim Halterman, TV Guide Magazine.
Michael Kenneth Williams is one of this generation’s most respected and acclaimed actors. By bringing complicated and charismatic characters to life - often with surprising tenderness - Williams has established himself as a gifted and versatile performer with a unique ability to mesmerize audiences.
Williams is best known for his remarkable work on The Wire, which ran for five seasons on HBO. The wit and humor that Williams brought to Omar - the whistle-happy, profanity-averse, drug dealer-robbing stickup man - earned him high praise and made Omar one of television’s most memorable characters.
Williams currently stars on Sundance's dark comedy Hap and Leonard, as Leonard Pine, based on the novels by Joe R. Lansdale.
Williams co-starred in HBO’s critically acclaimed series Boardwalk Empire. In the Martin Scorsese- and Terence Winter-produced show, Williams played Chalky White, a 1920s bootlegger and impeccably suited veritable mayor of Atlantic City’s African-American community. In 2012, Boardwalk Empire won a Screen Actors Guild Award® for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
He was recently seen playing the role of Freddy in the acclaimed HBO limited series The Night Of, opposite Riz Ahmed and John Turturro; the series was written by Richard Price and Steve Zaillian, who also directed the episodes. Williams can be seen in the ABC limited series When We Rise from Dustin Lance Black and Gus Van Sant. The series dives deep into the LGBT and Civil Rights movements that have taken place over the past few decades in San Francisco. In a turn from his more serious roles, Williams starred in the IFC comedy mini-series The Spoils Before Dying alongside Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph.
Williams made his feature film debut in the urban drama Bullet after being discovered by the late Tupac Shakur. He also appeared in Bringing Out the Dead, which was directed by Martin Scorsese. His other film work includes roles in The Road, Gone Baby Gone, Life During Wartime, Brooklyn’s Finest, Wonderful World and Snitch, opposite Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon. He was seen in José Padilha’s remake of RoboCop, starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton, and in a supporting role in Steve McQueen’s Oscar®-winning 12 Years a Slave with Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt. He also appeared in The Purge: Anarchy, the successful sequel to the box office-booming The Purge, as the resistance leader Carmelo Johns.
In 2014, Williams filmed Captive opposite Kate Mara and David Oyelowo and Kill the Messenger opposite Jeremy Renner, as well as Paul Thomas Anderson’s film Inherent Vice. He also found time to reunite with director John Hillcoat in Triple 9, with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Woody Harrelson and Anthony Mackie, and appear in the Sundance film The Land. Williams also starred opposite Mark Wahlberg and John Goodman in Paramount’s remake of The Gambler and in the HBO Films movie Bessie, opposite Queen Latifah, for which he garnered an Emmy® nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Williams was recently seen in the Paul Feig-directed Ghostbusters reboot opposite Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth, and in New Regency’s Assassin’s Creed, based on the popular video game, opposite Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard and directed by Justin Kurzel.
Giving back to the community plays an important role in Williams’s off-camera life. He is working to launch Making Kids Win, a charitable organization whose primary objective is to build community centers in urban neighborhoods that are in need of safe spaces for children to learn and play. Michael currently serves as the ACLU's ambassador of Smart Justice.
Williams also executive produces and serves as the investigative journalist for Black Market, a documentary program that exposes and comments on illegal markets throughout the world with a focus on the people involved and connecting with them on a human level. Black Market is a flagship show for Vice’s newly launched network VICELAND.

[@reeree3641]

A phenomenal actor but an even better human being. Thugs didn’t care what Omar sexuality was, just wanted to be him…THAT is acting. Rest in power my brother. Love, love, love…

[@user-mi2ig6mv8n]

His death shocked me so unexpectedly I wish him posthumously to receive an Emmy award.

[@GeorgenaFelicia]

I am heartsick he is gone. His wisdom was expanding in leaps and bounds. People who sell drugs prey on the vulnerable and make everything worse! I'm going to watch his entire repertoire and likely cry for the duration.

[@AprilCampbell]

It is indeed sad. Please Embrace his art and let it be the memory and truth of who he is and what he represented. Let his art be the reflection.

[@Jaggeup]

RIP TO YOU MICHAEL WE LOVE U 😢🕊

[@xxxPdoublexxx]

He played Omar so good you would never ever know he is such a deep, well cultured and experienced individual.

[@angelapowell9030]

Omar is a highly intelligent young man and deep character................Brains, intelligence, kindness and experience comes from everywhere........................

[@nullunit]

I like the way he thinks and overthinks. That's a good dude.

[@esquibelle]

What a truly gifted artist we have lost in this man. Self-taught who came from completely different worlds than the characters he created which are truly some of the most outstanding & indelible in the history of television.

[@da1onlynickvicious]

Omar is legitimately one of the best characters in television history. He absolutely crushed that role

[@SupakNaCestach]

Rest in peace Michael, you will be missed.

[@harrietjohnson1930]

Rest in 💟 and ☮️, Michael. I’m just getting to know him and hear his heart. Such a huge, sad loss.

[@rondalynsistrunk8368]

He's blessed. I love him especially the way he thinks. He's making the best out of what has happened. A beautiful person

[@2FishAndATurtle]

Very gifted actor! Seems like such a decent and kind human being also!

[@deegoa]

Yeah, his story literally brought me to tears because I can relate soo deeply to him

[@AprilCampbell]

I love how he was in his true spirit of self after enjoying a few libations there are no inhibitions. I love this guy. What a beautiful mind. His vulnerabilities and transparency are what made him such a great artist. His work is inspirational

[@nijaokoro]

love him! what an inspiration.

[@nonamite6872]

My condolences to his family

[@Angels-3xist]

This was a great interview. The organizations he’s representing here are really important and inspiring.

[@chloeg2891]

Handsome!! That smile just melts my heart every time.😢 Rest easy king🙏🏼❤️😢

[@mokiewhite4338]

I'm gonna miss you Buddy Rest Peacefully !!

[@sianspherica]

Michael is one of a short list of actors who passed who I was legitimately upset he died. I felt the same way when James Gandolfini died. Just these brilliant men who provided me with so so much incredible entertainment and art and immensely memorable iconic characters.

[@johnr4022]

Excellent conversation.

[@mikekillagreen9432]

Rest in Power. Gifted and kind

[@lindahudson6826]

BEAUTIFUL SOUL!!👏🏽👍🏽✊🏾💪🏽🌹❤️😍😘💯

[@melaniescott3776]

Definitely worked for him R.I.P. King 👑

[@raykarena4595]

One extremely humble talented dude who gave back to his community. RIP...

[@angies7154]

R.I.P. 🕊Michael 🤍🖤🤍

[@oeleveoleve.7562]

wowwww, what a man.... like the dark color sink.... had several in my life... the best.

[@nemospodcast6766]

RIP BROTHER! ❤️🥺

[@walkermorgan1710]

Love that he shows respect to Tony

[@michelel.egerton6369]

I miss my friend & brother-in-Christ...R.I.P. Mike

[@OBGynKenobi]

Chalky! He was so good.

[@royzlatanestevez9843]

Here after we had to say good bye. I hope he is happy where he is now. Very decent human being that many people will miss.

[@zenzonebyzen1317]

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@walkermorgan1710]

Rest In Peace to a King 👑

[@OsamaBinSmokinTV]

RIP.

[@justme-ll1qz]

RIP

[@melaniescott3776]

Brooklyn ♥️💯🙏🏼🌹

[@tinawilliams919]

So sad this man was still suffering from his past we as a people should not wisk away Counseling, therapy dealing with his demons he never confronted acting ,money is not enough. CONDOLENCE TO FAMILY

[@alfonsorivadeneyra6966]

Rest in peace, Omar Little.

[@cheryltaylor4928]

So we’ll spoken

"Omar comin yo"

[@GDSprodify]

Michael K. Williams Really Opened the Doors For Handicap-Black Actors that are looking to break into our industry.

[@sebastianconstantin5176]

who is handicaped? lol

[@yaadapaah887]

Soo having a scar on any part of ur body make,s u handicap ?

[@billia_capo315]

@@sebastianconstantin5176 Exactly who’s handicap ?!

[@mokiewhite4338]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT ? HANDICAP PEOPLE ARE NOT IN MADONNA'S VIDEOS AND EVERYTHING ELSE HE'S DONE. MAYBE YOU'RE HANDICAP.

[@evonneseldonburroughs2369]

How did he die!!!!!!!

[@aaronhoadley7514]

How did he die??

[@mokiewhite4338]

Fentynal mixed in some drugs he bought. 😢😢😢😢

[@liquidxtasy]

[@dogiorihae8275]

The ruddy athlete disconcertingly examine because racing internally rejoice above a jagged cactus. oceanic, wary lute

[@donaldgeorge1166]

RIP

[@twandaykearney5869]

RIP