The Story behind the Late 'The Wire' Actor Michael Kenneth William's Scar
Michael Kenneth Williams, the actor who brought Omar Little from the hit show "The Wire" to life, has recently passed away, but there is something besides his talent that people always noticed - his scar.
Williams, who was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment on Monday, had a scar from his forehead to his cheek, which, curiously, helped his career take off.
Back in 2014, during an interview with NPR host Michael Martin, Williams opened up about his special feature, how he got it in the first place and how the entertainment industry saw him after.
Michael K. Williams posing for the 2021 Critics Choice Awards in the Brooklyn borough of New York City | Photo: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ABA
At the start of his career, Williams would mostly be hired to dance in music videos, performing with huge stars such as Madonna and George Michael.
[Gbenga Akinnagb] described him as someone with a "huge, genuine heart."
VICIOUSLY ATTACKED
However, one night, he was invited to a party in Queens, New York, on this 25th birthday, which he attended with a couple of friends. But what was supposed to be a fun time quickly turned scary.
According to the late star, he was outside, trying to get some fresh air, when he saw his friends being surrounded by a group of strangers, and he immediately knew that he had to get out of there.
As Williams tried to get away, a man started following him. At one point, the then-dancer confronted the stalker, who then rubbed his hand against his mouth. As it turns out, the man spat out a blade. The actor recalled:
"He was positioning the razor in his mouth to get between his middle finger and his ring finger, and then he just went - swiped me down my face, and this cut my face."
Michael K. Williams at the Los Angeles premiere of "Robocop" in Hollywood, California | Photo: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic via Getty Images
FROM DANCER TO TV THUG
While it was a scary episode, Williams and his friends escaped with their lives, and the star saw his career take new and exciting turns as directors started noticing his scar:
"They wanted me to act out these thug roles, you know, like - Mike, roll these - roll these dice in this video. Have this fight in this video. I was like, all right."
Williams quickly rose in popularity, and his talent was able to make the ruthlessness of characters such as Omar Little and Chalky White from "Boardwalk Empire" truly shine on the small screen.
Gbenga Akinnagb, who worked alongside the actor in "The Wire," described him as someone with a "huge, genuine heart," easy to love, and someone who believed in helping others.
