[ 4 3 ] M O O R E & M O O R E
Michael K. Williams
M ichael Williams, an Emmy- nominated actor and producer, was regarded as one of the most admired and respected figures of his generation. He cultivated a name for himself as a versatile performer who had a unique ability to captivate audiences with his outstanding character interpretations which brought tough, yet strikingly fascinating characters to life with a unique and startling sort of empathy. Williams was born Michael Kenneth Williams in Brooklyn, New York to a Bahamian mother from Nassau and an American father named Booker T. Williams from Greeleyville, South Carolina. Williams was brought up in East Flatbush in Brooklyn’s Vanderveer Projects, and he attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School. He went on to enroll at the National Black Theater in New York City after getting into problems as a teenager. He worked briefly as a temp
for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, but at the age of 22 he left school and resigned his job, against his family’s wishes, to pursue a career as a dancer, inspired by Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814. This journey would lead Williams in and out of homelessness for about a year as he looked for jobs at record labels and dancing studios. He earned a position as a background dancer with Kym Sims, which led to more employment as a model and dancer in music videos and on tours with musicians like George Michael and Madonna. He also choreographed Crystal Waters’ single “100% Pure Love” from 1994. Williams is perhaps best known for his work on the television show “The Wire” (2002), and his wit and comedy portraying “Omar Little,” an openly gay drug dealer/stick-up man with a knack for profanity-fueled lines, earned him wide-spread acclaim and also established Omar’s status as one of television’s most famous characters. > > > C ONT I NU E ON N E X T PA G E
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