The Wire actor Michael K Williams has died at the age of 54, police in New York say.
Williams, known for his role as Omar Little in the hit TV crime drama, was found by family members at his Brooklyn home at around 2 pm on Monday.
His death is being investigated as a possible drug overdose, the Associated Press reports, citing the New York Police Department (NYPD).
In a report filed by Sky News and sighted by Chrisplug.com, an NYPD official said they couldn’t confirm the presence of drugs and that the medical examiner would establish Williams’ cause of death in due course.
The multiple Emmy nominee earned nods for his roles in Bessie, The Night Of When They See Us, and HBO’s Lovecraft Country this year.
AdvertisementThe Brooklyn-born actor, who had a distinctive facial scar from a bar fight on his 25th birthday, also won fans for his role as Chalky White in the period gangster series Boardwalk Empire.
“It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams. They ask for your privacy while grieving this unsurmountable loss,” his long-time representative Marianna Shafran of Shafran PR told The Hollywood Reporter.
Filmmaker James Gunn also paid tribute to Williams, describing him as among the “most gentle souls I’ve ever met”.
He tweeted: “Michael K Williams, in addition to being one of the most talented actors around, was also one of the kindest, sweetest, most gentle souls I’ve ever met. This is heartbreaking. My thoughts are with all those who loved him.”
Last week, it was announced Williams had joined the cast of Sony’s untitled biopic of famed world heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman.
He was set to play Doc Broadus, who was Foreman’s trainer and mentor.
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