![]() ![]() This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. Williams was 54 years old.Ĭopyright © 2021 NPR. MARTIN: One of his five Emmy nominations came this year for his role in the HBO show "Lovecraft Country." Michael K. WILLIAMS: The only thing that I knew that I shared with Omar was his sensitivity and his ability to love and his ability to love deep. MARTIN: That was especially true of the notorious Omar Little. WILLIAMS: I get to have these characters show me parts of myself that I can fix or make better or get rid of or just take a look at. MARTIN: Internally, he used his characters to heal. It got me to want to become a grown man, to grow up and to stop acting foolish - or at least to make the attempt to stop acting foolish, you know? He never - you know, I'm not saying he accepted me in my dysfunctionalism (ph), but he loved me in it. But until you're ready, man, I'm your brother. You know, he just nudged, you know? You know, Mike, you know, if you want to stop this pain, I can help you with this. WILLIAMS: One of his biggest sayings was, I'm going to love you till you learn to love yourself. In 2016, he told Fresh Air host Terry Gross about seeking help from a pastor. INSKEEP: Williams was open about his own real-life struggles with addiction. WILLIAMS: I didn't allow myself to feel weak over that incident 'cause I knew that, mentally, I didn't have what it would have taken to really deal with what had just happened (laughter), so I didn't mentally go there. Those visible scars just became part of the characters he played. The night of his 25th birthday, he got into a fight and was slashed across his face and throat. MARTIN: Williams refused to let hardship get in his way. He appeared in other shows and films across more than two decades, including "Boardwalk Empire" and "The Night Of." Before acting, in his 20s, he left his job as a pharmaceutical representative to become a background dancer. INSKEEP: That's from the HBO show "The Wire," a crime drama about the drug scene in Baltimore. WILLIAMS: (As Omar Little) I robs drug dealers. MICHAEL K WILLIAMS: (As Omar Little) I rip and run. UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) What exactly do you do for a living, Mr. He was a prolific actor.Īnd his roles included one of the most popular TV characters of recent decades, Omar Little.
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