Emmy-nominated actor Michael K Williams found dead in NYC apartment
Actor and five-time Emmy Award-nominee Michael K Williams was found dead in his penthouse in Brooklyn, New York on Monday. The actor, most widely known for his stint as Omar Little on HBO's The Wire, was 54. Reports quoted New York Police Department (NYPD) spokespersons to state that Williams was found dead after a 2:00 pm phone call was received by the emergency operators.
Williams's family asked for 'privacy while grieving this insurmountable loss'
Saying "no cause of death was immediately available," The Hollywood Reporter quoted a family statement shared by Williams's representative, Marianna Shafran. "It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy-nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams. They ask for your privacy while grieving this insurmountable loss," it said. Another portal cited police sources to state he could have died due to overdose.
Reportedly, police have found drugs on his kitchen table
The police have found drugs (most likely heroin) on his kitchen table, so an overdose possibility is open. Apparently, Williams had spoken to a family member on Friday and was supposed to attend an event on Saturday. When he did not show up, the relative visited his house on Monday, right when someone else called the police, as per New York Post.
He had been open about past drug abuse
It looks like the investigative officers are going with the overdose angle as they have ruled out the possibility of foul play. "No forced entry, the apartment was in order," the police sources told portals. Notably, the Boardwalk Empire actor had been transparent about his struggles with addiction. In 2012, he had shared his tryst with drugs and why he had quit.
'I didn't want to end up dead,' Williams on quitting
Speaking to NJ.com in 2012, Williams had recalled doing drugs "in scary places with scary people." When asked how he finally managed to quit, he had been honest. "I finally said, 'I can't do this no more.' I didn't want to end up dead."
He had bagged his fifth Emmy nomination this year
A gifted actor, Williams was most recently seen as Montrose Freeman on Lovecraft Country, which earned him his fifth Emmy nomination. The HBO series had not only decorated his career but also helped him deal with his personal and "blood trauma (of being a Black American)." "It [playing Freeman] got me in touch with my deeper trauma," he had told Deadline. Rest in peace!
