00:00Michael K. Williams, the beloved actor and five-time Emmy nominee, best known for his work on HBO's The Wire, has sadly died. He was 54.
00:09A New York Police Department rep told The Hollywood Reporter that the actor was found dead in his Brooklyn home on Monday afternoon.
00:16No cause of death was immediately available.
00:18Williams' longtime rep, Marianna Schaffrin, released a statement regarding his passing, which read,
00:22It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy-nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams.
00:28They ask for your privacy while grieving this insurmountable loss.
00:32Williams was best known for his role as Baltimore stick-up man Omar Little on HBO's The Wire.
00:37He would appear on 42 episodes before Omar met his end in the fifth and final season.
00:43His work on the HBO series even caught the attention of then-Senator Barack Obama in 2008,
00:49who called The Wire his favorite TV series and Omar his favorite character.
00:53More recently, Williams portrayed Monroe's Freeman on HBO's Lovecraft Country
00:57and was Bobby McRae, the father of Antron McRae, on Ava DuVernay's 2019 Netflix miniseries When They See Us.
01:04The frequent HBO star also starred on Boardwalk Empire from 2010 through 2014
01:09and the 2016 miniseries The Night Of.
01:12The network also released a statement which read,
01:15We are devastated to learn of the passing of Michael Kenneth Williams, a member of the HBO family for more than 20 years.
01:21While the world is aware of his immense talents as an artist,
01:24we knew Michael as a dear friend who was beloved by all who had the privilege to work with him.
01:29Hollywood figures also took to social media to pay tribute in the wake of the actor's death.
01:34Ava DuVernay offered a lengthy tribute to Williams on Instagram, of whom she called The King.
01:39Macy Nash also paid tribute to her When They See Us co-star, writing,
01:43You were a beautiful soul, a kind spirit, and a good time.
01:46A talent beyond measure.
01:47And The Wire creator David Simon shared on Twitter,
01:50He was too gutted to share everything, but offered a short statement for the moment, writing,
01:55Michael was a fine man and a rare talent, and on our journey together, he always deserved the best words.
02:00And today, those words won't come.
02:02The celebrated actor most recently received a 2021 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
02:09for his work on Lovecraft Country, with a telecast set for September 19th.
02:14Williams also received Emmy noms for his work in the 2015 telefilm Bessie,
02:18The Night of, Vice, and DuVernay's When They See Us.
02:22His other big screen credits included Gone Baby Gone, Antoine Fuqua's Brooklyn's Finest,
02:27and Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave, among many others.
02:30In a 2011 interview with THR's Scott Feinberg, Williams was asked how he would like to be remembered.
02:36I just want people to remember me as one cool-ass dude.
02:39Someone who cared.
02:41For more on the life and career of Michael K. Williams, go to THR.com.
02:45And keep watching The Hollywood Reporter News for more entertainment news and updates.
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