The Wire star Michael K. Williams has been found dead at his home in New York,
aged 54.
The New
York Post reports that the actor was found dead in his New
York apartment by his nephew on Monday afternoon (6 September).
No cause of
death has been confirmed.
Williams, who
appeared in HBO's Boardwalk Empire and the Oscar-winning 12
Years a Slave, was perhaps best-known for role as gay Baltimore gangster
Omar Little on five seasons of HBO drama The Wire from
2002-2008.
Williams
himself did not identify as gay, but his acclaimed portrayal of Little stood as
a landmark depiction of Black male queerness on cable network television at a
time when such roles remained almost non-existent.
In 2016,
Williams' turn as Little on The Wire topped
a British Film Institute (BFI) poll of the UK's favourite onscreen
performances by a Black actor.
Before making
the transition to acting, Williams worked as a backup dancer in the early '90s
for stars including Madonna and George Michael, and in 1994 he choreographed
the video for Crystal Waters' single '100% Pure Love'.
In 2020, the
three-time Emmy nominee played another notable LGBTQ role, appearing as
closeted 1950s father Montrose Freeman in HBO drama series Lovecraft
Country.
SOURCE: ATTITUDE MAG
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