Hollywood is still mourning the loss of actor Michael K. Williams, whose sudden passing sent shockwaves across the community on Sunday.
Perhaps most remembered for his breakout role as Omar Little on HBO’s iconic crime drama series The Wire, the beloved actor left a lasting impression on his co-stars and collaborators throughout the industry with his dedication to his craft and bright spirit.
Former The Wire co-star Wendell Pierce passed along a heartfelt message for the man he described as “the kindest of persons” and whose acting skills he had great respect and admiration for. In a series of tweets, Pierce wrote his own impromptu eulogy for his friend and collaborator.
“He was proud of the artist he had become, asking for my advice long after he had surpassed any insight I could have shared. Always truthful, never inauthentic,” he wrote of the actor. “Like two mischievous kids, we would laugh & joke whenever we would meet. Like Baltimore years ago.”
Pierce also shared red carpet footage from PaleyFest 2014 in which We Got This Covered spoke with the cast and creators of the HBO series they starred in. During the interview, he lauded Williams for lending his acting prowess to underrepresented Black male images in the now-iconic roles of Little and Chalky White on “Boardwalk Empire,” calling him “one of the great American actors.”
“So to you, my brother Mike, there is a small comfort that I know, you knew how much we loved you,” he tweeted.
That love was also expressed by several of Williams’ other co-stars from The Wire as well, including Lance Reddick who posted a video yesterday calling the 54-year-old Brooklyn native, “One of the kindest, gentlest, most genuine, giving and courageous souls I’ve ever met.” See more of their reactions below.