[ 4 4 ] M O O R E & M O O R E
M ichael K. W illiams
> > > C ONT I NU E ON T H I S PA G E
In HBO’s critically acclaimed series “Boardwalk Empire” (2010), Williams played Albert “Chalky” White, an impeccably dressed 1920s bootlegger and veritable mayor of Atlantic City’s Black community. The 2012 Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a Drama Series” went to “Boardwalk Empire, and Williams received his first Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie” for HBO’s “Bessie” (2015), and he also received a second nomination for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie” for his work as Freddy in HBO’s “The Night Of” (2016). In 2018, Williams went on to star in and produce a special season premiere of “Vice” (which first aired in 2013). The episode followed him on a very personal quest to uncover the underlying source of the mass incarceration crisis in America: the juvenile justice system.
The episode entitled “Raised in the System” provided an in-depth examination as to why the nation’s mass imprisonment epidemic can’t be fixed without addressing the juvenile justice issue first and foremost. Williams put forth the groundwork to investigate some of the top community- based initiatives that were resulting in considerable decreases in both crime and incarceration rates in various communities. His hard work and dedication to this project would lead him to receive his first Emmy nomination as a producer for this remarkable documentary. Following the nomination, he went on to continue to hold screenings across the country to educate and promote awareness. Williams’ off-camera life revolved around giving back to the community. He was actively involved in multiple humanitarian organizations, including Making Kids Win, whose main goal is to
establish community centers in urban areas where children need secure places to learn and play, and he also served as the ACLU’s Smart Justice Ambassador. Unfortunately, his off-camera demons would catch up with him as he developed a cocaine addiction in 2004 while playing Omar Little. Williams sought assistance from a ministry in nearby Irvington, which he credited with assisting him during the production, however, on September 6, 2021, his nephew discovered Williams dead in his Williamsburg, Brooklyn apartment. His death was ruled a death by overdose and it had been confirmed that Williams had passed away from a combination of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin, and cocaine according to the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner. A funeral for Michael K. Williams was privately held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral.
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