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.
‘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
‘An amazing actor and soul’: Isiah Whitlock Jr. – who played State Sen. R. Clayton ‘Clay’ Davis on the HBO series – also shared some words
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.’
A law enforcement source confirmed to the New York Post that the 54-year-old he was found in his Brooklyn apartment by his nephew on Monday afternoon. Williams is seen right as a character from the show Boardwalk Empire
‘You left us too soon…’: Niecy Nash also paid tribute as she shared a gallery of snaps of them together
‘Today is a f***ing horrible day’: Rosie Perez was obviously shocked by the news
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.
Williams was discovered inside his penthouse apartment, located in the trendy Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. The expensive complex is located on the waterfront and features sweeping views out over to Manhattan
‘Just saw you bro’: Actress Eva Marcille shared this snap of her with the star
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.
‘An actor for the ages’: Alec Baldwin, Aisha Tyler, George Takei, Lamorne Morris, Chance The Rapper, James Gunn, and Joel McHale were among the others who paid tribute to the talented star
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.
Niecy Nash also paid tribute as she shared a gallery of snaps of them together with a sweet caption which read: ‘My God Rest well friend @bkbmg You we’re a beautiful soul, a kind spirit & a good time… a talent beyond measure.
‘Thank you for the many times we traded energy and you made me feel like family. You left us too soon… Praying for your loved ones #TheWire #WhenTheySeeUs’
Rosie Perez was obviously shocked by the news as she took to Twitter to write: ‘WTF!!!! My friend just died!!! And I get a f***ing alert to notify me?! WTF!!!
‘Today is a f***ing horrible day! I’m destroyed! #RIPowerandPeace #MichaelKWilliams @BKBMG.’
Alec Baldwin, Aisha Tyler, George Takei, Lamorne Morris, Chance The Rapper, James Gunn, and Joel McHale were among the others who paid tribute to the talented star.
‘Why is it always the good ones, god?’: Jamie Chung, Kelly Rowland, and Olivia Munn also shared heartfelt messages
Tributes kept pouring in on Monday afternoon from Mariah Carey, who shared three throwback snaps of her posing with Williams.
‘A beautiful soul, a beautiful person, I’ll miss you always. Thank you for blessing us with your talent,’ the singer said in her caption.
She also shared one of the images in her Instagram tribute on Twitter as well.
Throwback: Tributes kept pouring in on Monday afternoon from Mariah Carey, who shared three throwback snaps of her posing with Williams
Beautiful: ‘A beautiful soul, a beautiful person, I’ll miss you always. Thank you for blessing us with your talent,’ the singer said in her caption
Tribute: She also shared one of the images in her Instagram tribute on Twitter as well
Actress Viola Davis also shared a brief video montage of photos of Williams, along with a heartfelt tribute.
‘No! So sad. Man do I wish this were a different ending. Rest well. Praying for your loved ones,’ Davis said.
Mark Wahlberg also shared a tribute on Twitter, stating, ‘RIP Michael K. Williams, so brilliant in #BoardwalkEmpire. You will be missed.’
Tribute: Actress Viola Davis also shared a brief video montage of photos of Williams, along with a heartfelt tribute
Brilliant: Mark Wahlberg also shared a tribute on Twitter, stating, ‘RIP Michael K. Williams, so brilliant in #BoardwalkEmpire. You will be missed’
Supermodel Joan Smalls also took to Instagram with a touching tribute, which began, ‘This one hurt,’ with a broken heart emoji.
‘I had the honor to work with him and see the caring, humble and giving soul that he was. Inspiring many. Rest in Power #MichaelKWilliams.
Smalls and Williams worked together on the 2013 music video for A$AP Rocky’s video Phoenix.
Rest in power: Supermodel Joan Smalls also took to Instagram with a touching tribute, which began, ‘This one hurt,’ with a broken heart emoji
Another one of Williams’ co-stars, Kerry Washington, who starred alongside him 2007’s I Think I Love My Wife and 2008’s Miracle at St. Anna, shared a touching tribute.
‘So heartbroken. @bkmgn thank you for the beauty and joy you brought to the world,’ she began.
‘Sending love and prayers to your friends, family and everyone who adored you me included ❤️ We adore you Sir,’ she concluded.
Tribute: Another one of Williams’ co-stars, Kerry Washington, who starred alongside him 2007’s I Think I Love My Wife and 2008’s Miracle at St. Anna, shared a touching tribute.
Aaron Paul, who starred alongside Williams in the 2016 crime thriller Triple 9, offered a heartfelt tribute of his own.
‘Michael, You embraced this world with a loving heart and a gentle smile. Everyone who knew you would say that you lifted them up with such ease and grace and that they became a better person by simply knowing you. I have had the privilege to know that heart of yours and I am heartbroken to lose it,’ Paul began.
‘Thank you for chasing your dreams and teaching us all what it means to be decent. Your love for the craft will never be forgotten and I feel honored to have shared the screen with you brother. Wish I told you more of what an impact you had on me. Love and light my friend. Rest In Peace. A,’ Paul concluded.
Aaron’s tribute: Aaron Paul, who starred alongside Williams in the 2016 crime thriller Triple 9, offered a heartfelt tribute of his own
One of Williams’ fellow co-stars on The Wire, Deirdre Lovejoy, who played Assistant State’s Attorney Rhonda Pearlman, shared a throwback snap of her and Williams.
‘My heart is heavy at the loss of this brilliant soul gone too soon,’ Lovejoy began in her post.
‘His passion and talent will live on through his incredible body of work. R.I.P. #MichaelKWilliams,’ she added, with a broken heart emoji.
R.I.P.: One of Williams’ fellow co-stars on The Wire, Deirdre Lovejoy, who played Assistant State’s Attorney Rhonda Pearlman, shared a throwback snap of her and Williams
Leslie Jones didn’t mince words in her tribute post on Instagram, adding that learning about Williams’ death, ‘f***ed me up y’all.’
‘Micheal K Williams was a solid dude. He was so nice to me when we did Ghostbusters and we bonded on many levels!!’ she added.
‘Damn I was just thinking the next time I saw him I was gonna tell him how dope of an actor he is. Damn y’all we lost a good one. Rest in love my brother,’ she concluded.
Leslie’s tribute: Leslie Jones didn’t mince words in her tribute post on Instagram, adding that learning about Williams’ death, ‘f***ed me up y’all’
Tika Sumpter, who starred with Williams on the 2015 HBO movie Bessie, began her Twitter tribute, ‘God, he was a true gem.’
‘I was so lucky to be around him and work with him on “Bessie”. He was one of the kindest humans in all ways. Being in #MichaelKWilliams presence was a gift. A true gift. Thank you #michaelkwilliamsRIP,’ she concluded.
Watchmen creator shared a photo of Williams as Omar Little from The Wire, adding, ‘I only crossed paths with this incandescent talent twice, both times dazzled by his kindness and wit as I stood there, babbling like the superfan I am. This is a great loss. Whatever wonderful realm lies beyond this one, Omar comin’.’
Gem: Tika Sumpter, who starred with Williams on the 2015 HBO movie Bessie, began her Twitter tribute, ‘God, he was a true gem’
Omar comin: Watchmen creator shared a photo of Williams as Omar Little from The Wire, adding, ‘I only crossed paths with this incandescent talent twice, both times dazzled by his kindness and wit as I stood there, babbling like the superfan I am. This is a great loss. Whatever wonderful realm lies beyond this one, Omar comin’.’
Mandy Moore shared a photo of Williams in an orange tuxedo, praising him as an ‘absolute genius,’ adding his passing is an ‘unbelievable loss.’
The Suicide Squad star Joel Kinnaman shared a photo of Williams on his Instagram story in tribute to his passing.
Colman Domingo, who starred with Williams in Miracle at St. Anna and Time Out of Mind, stated on Twitter, ‘Truly gutted on hearing the passing of Michael K. Williams. A tremendous actor.’
Genius: Mandy Moore shared a photo of Williams in an orange tuxedo, praising him as an ‘absolute genius,’ adding his passing is an ‘unbelievable loss’
Tribute: The Suicide Squad star Joel Kinnaman shared a photo of Williams on his Instagram story in tribute to his passing
Tremendous: Colman Domingo, who starred with Williams in Miracle at St. Anna and Time Out of Mind, stated on Twitter, ‘Truly gutted on hearing the passing of Michael K. Williams. A tremendous actor’
David Alan Grier shared Variety’s news story on Williams’ passing, adding, ‘Damn! Such a loss! This man was an amazing actor and a beautiful artist gone too soon…’
Director Spike Lee shared a photo of him and Williams at Madison Square Garden cheering on the New York Knicks, with a heartfelt message.
‘Whew Lawd,Dis Is A Tough Day-1st We Lose The Great French Actor JEAN PAUL BELMONDO And Now My Brother MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS. Our Brother Passed Away Today In His Home,Da People’s Republic Of Brooklyn. I’m Shook. Drinking A Bottle Of Italian Red Wine-Brunello Di Montalcino By Myself. Our Greats Are Leaving Us Left And Right. GOD BLESS,’ Lee said.
Beautiful artist: David Alan Grier shared Variety’s news story on Williams’ passing, adding, ‘Damn! Such a loss! This man was an amazing actor and a beautiful artist gone too soon…’
Spike’s tribute: Director Spike Lee shared a photo of him and Williams at Madison Square Garden cheering on the New York Knicks, with a heartfelt message
Ellen Barkin, who starred in the 2009 crime drama Brooklyn’s Finest with Williams, tweeted, ‘We lost a great talent. What he brought was his and only his. Rest In Peace Michael K Williams.’
Patricia Arquette, who starred alongside Williams in one of his first film roles in 1999’s Bringing Out the Dead and in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, offered another Twitter tribute, stating, ‘This is utterly devastating. Sweet Michael. You were one of the best actors ever. Rest in Peace.’
Natalie Morales tweeted, ‘Michael K. Williams always impressed me with his work, but the scene at the gay club in Lovecraft Country absolutely shattered me into pieces- in the deepest, realest way that art can do. If he had done only that one scene- what a gift. What a gift we got to see so much more.’
Only his: Ellen Barkin, who starred in the 2009 crime drama Brooklyn’s Finest with Williams, tweeted, ‘We lost a great talent. What he brought was his and only his. Rest In Peace Michael K Williams’
Tribute: Patricia Arquette, who starred alongside Williams in one of his first film roles in 1999’s Bringing Out the Dead and in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, offered another Twitter tribute, stating, ‘This is utterly devastating. Sweet Michael. You were one of the best actors ever. Rest in Peace’
Impressed: Natalie Morales tweeted, ‘Michael K. Williams always impressed me with his work, but the scene at the gay club in Lovecraft Country absolutely shattered me into pieces- in the deepest, realest way that art can do. If he had done only that one scene- what a gift. What a gift we got to see so much more’
Yvette Nicole Brown, who worked with Williams on Community, offered, ‘The thing about @BKBMG is that as fierce and foreboding as his characters often were, he as a man couldn’t have been more easy-going and lovely. He was good, kind man and so fun to work with. I am sorry to hear of his passing and how.’
Iconic novelist Stephen King tweeted, ‘Horrible, sad and unbelievable to think we’ve lost the fantastically talented Michael K. Williams at the age of 54.’
Actress Samantha Mathis added, ‘This makes me so very, very sad. What a huge loss. Rest in power #MichaelKWilliams.’
Passing: Yvette Nicole Brown, who worked with Williams on Community, offered, ‘The thing about @BKBMG is that as fierce and foreboding as his characters often were, he as a man couldn’t have been more easy-going and lovely. He was good, kind man and so fun to work with. I am sorry to hear of his passing and how’
Stephen tweets: Iconic novelist Stephen King tweeted, ‘Horrible, sad and unbelievable to think we’ve lost the fantastically talented Michael K. Williams at the age of 54’
Rest: Actress Samantha Mathis added, ‘This makes me so very, very sad. What a huge loss. Rest in power #MichaelKWilliams’
Actor Steven Canals also took to Twitter with a tribute, stating, ‘What a stellar talent. What a great loss. RIP sir #MichaelKWilliams.’
Chairman Fred Hampton Jr., the son of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, shared a photo of him with Williams, stating, ‘Long Live Michael K. Williams!’
Alec Baldwin also shared a photo from the Toronto International Film Festival with him and the cast of his film The Public, including Williams, stating, ‘At @tiff_net with Emilio and the cast of THE PUBLIC, a film which gave me the great opportunity to meet and work with @bkbmg Rest In Peace.’
Talent: Actor Steven Canals also took to Twitter with a tribute, stating, ‘What a stellar talent. What a great loss. RIP sir #MichaelKWilliams’
Chairman: Chairman Fred Hampton Jr., the son of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, shared a photo of him with Williams, stating, ‘Long Live Michael K. Williams!’
TIFF: Alec Baldwin also shared a photo from the Toronto International Film Festival with him and the cast of his film The Public, including Williams, stating, ‘At @tiff_net with Emilio and the cast of THE PUBLIC, a film which gave me the great opportunity to meet and work with @bkbmg Rest In Peace’
Writer-producer Cheo Hodari Coker (Luke Cage, Creed II) added, ‘I can’t believe Michael K Williams is gone. A great actor but an even better man. The loss is unmeasurable.’
One of Williams’ Boardwalk Empire co-stars Steven Graham tweeted, ‘Michael K Williams… a talent beyond words and a truly beautiful soul, sending you peace and love wherever you may be x.’
Filmmaker Scott Derrickson added, ‘I think Michael K Williams’ Omar in The Wire was one of the top ten character portrayals in television history.’
Unmeasurable: Writer-producer Cheo Hodari Coker (Luke Cage, Creed II) added, ‘I can’t believe Michael K Williams is gone. A great actor but an even better man. The loss is unmeasurable’
Co-star: One of Williams’ Boardwalk Empire co-stars Steven Graham tweeted, ‘Michael K Williams… a talent beyond words and a truly beautiful soul, sending you peace and love wherever you may be x’
Top ten: Filmmaker Scott Derrickson added, ‘I think Michael K Williams’ Omar in The Wire was one of the top ten character portrayals in television history’
Wyatt Cenac added, ‘Michael K Williams was more than the characters he portrayed. He was someone who used his platform to shine a light on the issues around him and amplify the voices of the people who are often overlooked and disregarded.
Adina Porter, who starred alongside Williams in 2005’s Lackwanna Blues, shared a photo of her with Williams, adding, ‘I’m shocked. I’m sad. So much talent. Way too young. #RIP Michael K. Williams.
Pee-Wee Herman, a.k.a. Paul Reubens, shared a story about how he got to know Williams in a series of tweets.
Wyatt’s tweet: Wyatt Cenac added, ‘Michael K Williams was more than the characters he portrayed. He was someone who used his platform to shine a light on the issues around him and amplify the voices of the people who are often overlooked and disregarded
Adina: Adina Porter, who starred alongside Williams in 2005’s Lackwanna Blues, shared a photo of her with Williams, adding, ‘I’m shocked. I’m sad. So much talent. Way too young. #RIP Michael K. Williams
‘I just saw some extremely sad, heartbreaking news. My friend and supremely talented actor Michael K. Williams has died. We met on a film in 2008 and became casual pals. I was excited to meet him having greatly admired his incredible, insightful work in The Wire,’ Reubens began.
‘Getting to know him, he was everything I’d hoped he might be—funny, serious, deep, sensitive and joyful. He was absolutely beautiful inside and out. He loved to dance. And, that insanely gorgeous smile he had,’ Reubens added.
‘We connected a couple of times a year, at Christmastime and on his birthday. I sent him a valentine every year on Valentine’s Day, to make sure he knew I loved and cherished him,’ he said.
‘I’ll miss you very much, Michael, but will certainly not ever forget you. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. Rest In Peace, sweet, sweet man,’ he concluded.
Heartbreaking: ‘I just saw some extremely sad, heartbreaking news. My friend and supremely talented actor Michael K. Williams has died. We met on a film in 2008 and became casual pals. I was excited to meet him having greatly admired his incredible, insightful work in The Wire,’ Reubens began
Everything: ‘Getting to know him, he was everything I’d hoped he might be—funny, serious, deep, sensitive and joyful. He was absolutely beautiful inside and out. He loved to dance. And, that insanely gorgeous smile he had,’ Reubens added
Connected: ‘We connected a couple of times a year, at Christmastime and on his birthday. I sent him a valentine every year on Valentine’s Day, to make sure he knew I loved and cherished him,’ he said
Condolences: ‘I’ll miss you very much, Michael, but will certainly not ever forget you. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. Rest In Peace, sweet, sweet man,’ he concluded
Edward Norton, who directed and starred alongside Williams in his 2019 film Motherless Brooklyn, also shared a heartfelt message in two tweets.
‘I feel punched in gut to learn we’ve lost Michael K Williams. Soul anguished. Getting to work with him was one of the greatest privileges I’ve had in my career. My admiration for his talent was boundless, like so many. If he was in a scene he was the best thing about it. Period,’ Norton said.
‘He had a really rare gift for being fully present in the moment & for conveying the layers under the words. He ran so deep. He was also kind & generously enthusiastic. I’ll be forever grateful that he graced ‘Motherless Brooklyn’ & that I got to share space & time w him. RIP,’ he concluded with a broken heart emoji.
Punched: ‘I feel punched in gut to learn we’ve lost Michael K Williams. Soul anguished. Getting to work with him was one of the greatest privileges I’ve had in my career. My admiration for his talent was boundless, like so many. If he was in a scene he was the best thing about it. Period,’ Norton said
Rare gift: ‘He had a really rare gift for being fully present in the moment & for conveying the layers under the words. He ran so deep. He was also kind & generously enthusiastic. I’ll be forever grateful that he graced ‘Motherless Brooklyn’ & that I got to share space & time w him. RIP,’ he concluded with a broken heart emoji
David Simon, who created the iconic crime series The Wire where Williams played the iconic Omar White, was at a loss for words over Williams’ passing.
He shared a photo of Williams and added in another tweet, ‘Too gutted right now to say all that ought to be said. Michael was a fine man and a rare talent and on our journey together he always deserved the best words. And today those words won’t come.’
Cedric the Entertainer shared a photo of Williams on Instagram, adding, ‘Well Damn!! Sorry to hear about the tragic loss of our brother #michaelkwilliams God rest his soul and blessings to his loved ones.’
Actor and director Jonathan Frakes added, ‘What a tragic loss. RIP Michael K Williams on Twitter.
The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus, who also starred with Williams in Triple 9, shared a photo on Instagram of the two, adding, ‘such sad news what a brilliant dude.’
Chloe Sevigny shared a throwback snap of Williams, adding, ‘I *heart emoji* actors #michaelkwilliams #gonetoosoon.’
Singer-actor Usher also shared an image of Williams on his Instagram story, in tribute to his passing.
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