Michael K. Williams Net Worth: Early Life, Acting Career, Key Facts and More

Introduction

Michael Kenneth Williams was an American actor with an estimated net worth of $5 Million at the time of his death, who became widely known for his role as Omar Little on the HBO series The Wire, in 2002. Williams went on to become one of the most noteworthy and eminent actors out there.

Williams faced struggles with drug addiction and died in the year 2021, aged 54, after consuming heroin laced with a lethal amount of fentanyl. Later, four men were charged with various charges, one of them being manslaughter.

Michael K Williams Early Life

Michael Kenneth Williams was born on November 22, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., to a Bahamian mother and an American father. He has four sisters and three brothers. He attended the George Westinghouse Career followed by the Technical Education High School and as a teenager, he attended the National Black Theatre in Harlem. He chose to go against his family’s wishes and dropped out of school to pursue a career in dancing. However, the success he achieved was very less, and plus he was homeless, so he decided to work as a background dancer on Kym Sims’ “Too Blind to See It” tour which led him to dance and choreography work, with artists like Madonna, George Michael, and Crystal Waters.

Michael K Williams Personal Life

Somewhere in 2019, it was rumored that Michael Williams was in an ongoing relationship with the actress Tasha Smith. Williams is the father to a son named Elijah Williams however, his son’s mother’s name remains unknown.

Michael K Williams Professional Life

After Michael Williams was discovered by Tupac Shakur, he was cast as High Top in the film “Bullet” in 1996. After that made appearances in several films as well as television projects. He mostly landed roles of thug-type characters because of a huge scar that he had on his face, which he received during a bar fight at the age of 25, in New York City. Some of his projects are “Bringing Out the Dead”, “Law & Order“, and “The Sopranos”.

In the year 2002, he landed the role that would help him rise to fame. The role was of enacting Omar Little on “The Wire,” and he got the part with just a single audition. For his phenomenal portrayal of Omar, USA Today named Williams as one of the ten reasons they still love television and in the year 2007, he got nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor for this role. In the year 2008, Barack Obama, then-senator, said that “The Wire” was his favorite TV show and the character Omar was his favorite character.

His six years with “The Wire” were followed by roles on shows like “Alias,” “Six Degrees,” “CSI,” “Boston Legal,” “The Sopranos,” and “Law & Order.” In addition to that, he also successfully landed roles in films like “Gone Baby Gone,” “I Think I Love My Wife,” “The Road,” “Life During Wartime,” and many more. He also went on to appear in music videos including that of R. Kelly, The Game, Young Jeezy, Trick Daddy, MGMT, Marilyn Manson, and ASAP Rocky, to name a few.

From 2010 to 2014, Williams starred in HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” for five seasons, in which he appeared as Albert “Chalky” White, the leader of 1920’s Atlantic City’s black community. Williams would have also been cast as the title character Django in Quentin Tarantino’s film “Django Unchained,” but due to scheduling conflicts with “Boardwalk Empire,” he was unable to take on the role. In March of 2015, Williams starred on SundanceTV’s “Hap and Leonard,” a show based on a book series by Joe R. Lansdale. Williams has also worked with Vice News where he hosted a VICELAND program called “Black Market.” In the year 2016, he made an appearance as Freddy Knight in six episodes of “The Night Of,” and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series for his remarkable performance.

In the year 2019, Michael Williams featured as Bobby McCray on the award-winning “When They See Us” and was once again nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series.  In the year 2020, Williams commenced playing Montrose Freeman in “Lovecraft Country.”

Michael K Williams Video games

Michael K Williams Awards and Nominations

• Emmy Awards

• Screen Actors Guild Awards

• Critics Choice Awards

• Gotham Awards

• Independent Spirit Awards

Michael K Williams Death

Michael K Williams was found dead in his penthouse in Brooklyn by his nephew on September 6, 2021.  On September 24, 2021, it was confirmed by the Office of the NYC Chief Medical Examiner that the cause of death of Williams was a combination of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, and ruled out overdose death. His funeral service was kept private and took place at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where his mother lives.

Key Facts about Michael Kenneth Williams

• Michael K Williams was born on 22 November 1966 in Brooklyn, New York, United States.
• Michael K Williams worked as a temp for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.
• Michael K Williams quit his job to pursue a career as a dancer.
• Michael K Williams was nominated twice for an NAACP Image Award for his portrayal of Omar Little on The Wire.
• The net worth of Michael K Williams was $5 Million as per Celebrity Net worth.
• The cause of Michael K Williams’ death was acute combined drug intoxication/drug overdose.
• Michael K Williams was aged 54 (1996-2021) when he died.
• Michael Williams worked with Vice News where he hosted a VICELAND program called “Black Market.”
• Michael Williams is the father to a son named Elijah Williams, however, his son’s mother’s name remains unknown.

FAQs related to Michael K Williams

1. Who was Michael K Williams?

Michael Kenneth Williams was an American actor with an estimated net worth of $5 Million at the time of his death, who became widely known for his role as Omar Little on the HBO series The Wire, in 2002. Williams went on to become one of the most noteworthy and eminent actors out there. Williams faced struggles with drug addiction and died in the year 2021, aged 54, after consuming heroin laced with a lethal amount of fentanyl.

2. Where was Michael K Williams born?

Michael Kenneth Williams was born on November 22, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

3. What was Michael K Williams’ net worth?

The net worth of Michael K Williams was $5 Million as per Celebrity Net worth.

4. Where was Michael K Williams found dead?

Michael K Williams was found dead on 6 September 2021, by a relative around 2 pm in his apartment in Brooklyn, New York City.

5. What was the cause of Michael K Williams’ death?

The cause of Michael K Williams’ death was acute combined drug intoxication/drug overdose.

6. What was the age of Michael K Williams at the time of his death?

Michael K Williams was aged 54 (1996-2021) when he died.

7. How did Michael K Williams get the scar on his face?

Michael K Williams had a huge scar on his face, which he received during a bar fight at the age of 25, in New York City.

8. Was Michael K Williams married?

No, Michael K Williams was not married.

9. How tall was Michael Williams?

Michael Williams was 5 ft 10 in tall.

10. Does Michael Williams have children?

Yes, Michael Williams has 3 children.

Conclusion

Michael Kenneth Williams was an American actor with an estimated net worth of $5 Million at the time of his death, who became widely known for his role as Omar Little on the HBO series The Wire, in 2002. Williams went on to become one of the most noteworthy and eminent actors out there. It was rumored that Michael Williams was in an ongoing relationship with the actress Tasha Smith. Williams is the father to a son named Elijah Williams however, his son’s mother’s name remains unknown.

Williams faced struggles with drug addiction and died in the year 2021, aged 54, after consuming heroin laced with a lethal amount of fentanyl.