Remembering New York Native and Legendary Actor, Michael K. Williams
Unfortunately, a story that we've heard far too often, especially recently, was re-told earlier today. A public figure, revered by their colleagues, gone way too soon.
Yesterday, reports surfaced that actor Michael K. Williams had passed away. The Brooklyn, New York native was just 54 years old, and would have celebrated his 55th birthday in November. While no cause of death has been reported, colleagues, fans, friends and family have been left without answers.
A number of actors, actresses and film/television standouts took to Twitter to grieve with the world, passing along anecdotes and memories of a man who seems to be revered off-camera just as much as he was on.
From serious to silly, The Daily Show captured an especially memorable moment from Williams:
The MLS team Atlanta United FC tweeted an awesome video of Williams rooting on the team on the pitch, amidst thousands of (fellow) fans:
Acting colleague Wendell Pierce sums up the brilliance of Williams' signature performance in "The Wire" in this video:
Even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar knew how incredible he was:
What Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said about Michael K. Williams really resonated with me, and I'll tell you why. Williams had a three-episode arch on the TV show Community, an NBC sitcom, and one of my all-time favorite TV shows. Despite only being a supporting character (a biology professor), he resonated with me right away. His performance had a dry wit to it, but also had a menacing intensity behind it. His character brought the best out of the Greendale Community College gang.
Rest In Peace, Michael K. Williams. Gone way, way too soon.