Taraji P. Henson and fellow The Wire actors were among those who led celebrity tributes to Michael K. Williams after his death at 54.
Taraji, 50, took to Instagram on Monday to share a video of the five-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee along with a caption which read: ‘Rest well my friend. JESUS!!! You will be missed deeply.’
As Williams portrayed iconic character Omar Little on The Wire, several of his castmates from the HBO series also took to social media to honor their former co-star.
Tragic: Michael K. Williams (seen in September 2012) had been found dead at the age of 54 of a suspected overdose inside his luxury Brooklyn penthouse
‘Rest well my friend. JESUS!!! You will be missed deeply’: Taraji P. Henson, 50, took to Instagram on Monday to share a video of the five-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee a
Wendell Pierce, who portrayed Detective William ‘Bunk’ Moreland, over all five seasons shared a thread on Twitter with heartfelt thoughts which began: ‘The depth of my love for this brother, can only be matched by the depth of my pain learning of his loss.
‘A immensely talented man with the ability to give voice to the human condition portraying the lives of those whose humanity is seldom elevated until he sings their truth.
‘If you don’t know, you better ask somebody. His name was Michael K. Williams. He shared with me his secret fears then stepped out into his acting with true courage, acting in the face of fear, not in the absence of it. It took me years to learn what Michael had in abundance.’
Legend: As Williams portrayed iconic character Omar Little on The Wire, several of his castmates from the HBO series also took to social media to honor their former co-star
‘It took me years to learn what Michael had in abundance’: Wendell Pierce, who portrayed Detective William ‘Bunk’ Moreland, over all five seasons shared a thread on Twitter with heartfelt thoughts
He continued by reflecting on their relationship and how their chemistry on screen translated to a real relationship away from the camera.
Pierce explained: ‘He was proud of the artist he had become, asking for my advice long after he had surpassed any incite I could have shared.Always truthful, never inauthentic. The kindest of persons. Like two mischievous kids, we would laugh & joke whenever we would meet. Like Baltimore years ago.
‘THE WIRE brought us together and immortalized Omar & Bunk in that “scene” on a park bench.But for us we aimed to take that moment in time together and say something about Black men. Our struggle with ourselves, internally, and each other. For me & Mike we had nothing but respect.
‘So to you, my brother Mike, there is a small comfort that I know, you knew how much we loved you.’
Pierce concluded with a quote from American playwright Arthur Miller.
Isiah Whitlock Jr. – who played State Sen. R. Clayton ‘Clay’ Davis – wrote: ‘One of the nicest brothers on the planet with the biggest heart. An amazing actor and soul. May you RIP. God bless.’
Tray Chaney, who played Malik ‘Poot’ Carr – posted a photo with the star and said: ‘RIP to the legend Michael K Williams aka one of the dopest Actors/Brother in the world. ‘I’m off the grid for a while hard to process this one.’
Williams had been found dead of a suspected overdose inside his luxury Brooklyn penthouse.
The 54-year-old was discovered unconscious in the living room of his Williamsburg apartment by his nephew on Monday afternoon, a law enforcement source told The New York Post.
Medics rushed to the scene, but actor dead at 2:12pm.
Williams’ nephew went around to the apartment complex to check up on the star, who hadn’t been heard from in several days.
Heroin was reportedly found on the star’s kitchen table, and other drug paraphernalia was discovered elsewhere on in the apartment.
A police source told The Post: ‘No foul play is indicated. [There was] no forced entry, and the apartment was in order.’
Williams, a five-time Emmy nominee, was best known for his role in HBO’s The Wire. He played homosexual stick-up man Omar Little in the critically acclaimed series, which ran from 2002 to 2008. President Barack Obama once described The Wire as his favorite show and Omar as his favorite character.
Williams went on to star in several other hit series, including Boardwalk Empire and Lovecraft Country – for which he is currently nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
The star is survived by a son named Elijah.
