Williams’ breakout role came in 2002, when he portrayed Omar Little in HBO’s The Wire. The role has been lauded over the years for its complex depiction of a gay Black man with a reputation as a ruthless criminal in the streets of Baltimore.
In a statement, HBO says the network is “devastated” to learn of Williams’ death, noting that he has been “a member of the HBO family for more than 20 years.” They added, “While the world is aware of his immense talents as an artist, we knew Michael as a dear friend who was beloved by all who had the privilege to work with him. We send our deepest condolences to his family for this immeasurable loss.”
Over the years, he’s appeared in such shows as Law & Order, The Sopranos, Alias, Boardwalk Empire, Community and When They See Us. He’s also had roles in movies like Gone Baby Gone, The Incredible Hulk, 12 Years a Slave, Inherent Vice and Ghostbusters (2016).
Most recently, Williams delivered another acclaimed performance in HBO’s Lovecraft Country, which earned him his fifth Emmy nomination in July. (Winners will be announced on Sept. 19.) He spoke to Agnes Isika Blog about playing Montrose, a Black man discovering his sexuality in the 1950s, and how that compared to his role on The Wire.
“Montrose was different. He didn’t have the freedom Omar had or the confidence. He comes from such a broken place,” he said in October 2020. “I just had to find my own pain and my own trauma, which was a very painful experience for me. All the generational pain that had been passed down through my own personal experiences, I had to dig deep down in that for Montrose.”
“I would hope that after watching Lovecraft, people walk away with this understanding of the beauty and necessity of a father-son relationship in the Black community,” Williams shared. “Black fathers have been ripped away from their sons for so many years, mine included. That was the main thing that attracted me to this to this role was the opportunity to play dad to that amazing Jonathan Majors and for us to explore what father and son bonding looks like and how we can rebuild that and treasure it. There’s an absence of the Black male in our community for a lot of reasons and some of it isn’t our fault but the need is there. It’s a beautiful thing to look at. I hope Montrose will remind us how much little Black boys need their fathers.”
“We are so conditioned to mask our pain as Black men in America. We’re not allowed to cry, we’re not allowed to be vulnerable. We’re not allowed to be soft. I hope that Montrose will at least open up a conversation for Black men in America,” he added.