A posthumous memoir out this week tells of the life and legacy of
actor Michael K. Williams, who died of a drug overdose last fall.
Now Williams is known for his powerful performances on screen, but
the memoir also reveals his struggles and the impact he made through
Social justice and community activism. Jeffrey Brown explores the
roles and the man as part of our arts and Culture series canvas.
Hold on comments, whistle The walk the way of being Omar little Stick
up man and kill her, but one who only takes on drug dealers and the
gay man in a violent and homophobic world.
He was an indelible character on one of the most highly regarded
series in television history. The Wire the actor who brought Omar
to life Michael K. Williams, You played these powerful figures who
were pioneering characters in terms of the portraits of black men
that we've seen on television. Eric Deggans is the television critic
for NPR. Michael was constantly sort of reinventing our vision of
what you know.
A black male. This could be a wooden black masculinity could be other
actors also saw an unusual talent wire costar Wendell Pierce, We
are actually getting to witness
And his young career. We're going to see a lot more.
Is like one of the great American actors giving voice and giving
flesh. Two characters that most people would have never given the
same humanity to chalky white, a prohibition era gangster in Boardwalk
empire. Freddie Knight convict who rules the prison in the night
of Montrose Freeman mysterious, traumatized man.
Who's lived through the Tulsa massacre in Lovecraft Country. Williams
was a powerful presence in high profile series for HBO. Now the man
Behind the characters comes to life in a posthumous memoir, scenes
from My Life Cole written with John Sternfeld, who completed the
work after William's death. This building was well I lived all my
life of conception up until season two of the wire Williams seen
here in a video from March 2021.
Grew up in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn in a huge housing
project, then called VanDerveer Estates. In the book, he described
a vibrant but violent world amid the crack cocaine era of the 19
eighties and nineties.
A loving but strict mother and absent father, his own crippling insecurities,
what he called his softness in a hard environment and his turned
to drugs. He got the scar running down his face that would, in some
ways, defined his on camera image. After being slashed with a razor
in a fight, the arts became a way out first as a dancer than actor.
Was interconnected his personal experiences through his
Professional experiences through work and through some of his characters.
Dominic Dupont Williams, nephew and friend also grew up in VanDerveer.
A lot of Michael's personal experiences.
Breathe life into his characters. Um
But what he was to me.
I believe he was to most of the people who knew him in the world.
He was an amazingly talented human being.
Who cared about people.
Who understood what it was to suffer.
And how to help people heal from suffering.
What DuPont and others want the world to know of. Williams, especially
in the last years of his life was his commitment to social justice
and community work.
Legacy is important as his acting
angel.
It's a bit made some bad choices, but God lift me up. So the way
I saw God, I appreciate my second chance in life is by coming home
and making sure that I saw my youth.
What I did wrong. The greatest gift that
Michael was able to give to people. A lot of the time was making
them feel like they mattered because he was going to the places that
other people don't go
in is a Brooklyn based activists who with Williams co founded, We
build the Block, an organization aimed at increasing public safety
through community led initiatives. Williams, she says, was eager
to reach young people and help change lives. And when we talk about
like
Mentorship or looking for positive role models or looking for love.
I mean, that's what made Michael so special. He understood that he
had to share.
Pieces of himself.
To make other people feel whole focus on social justice also showed
up in his work on camera in drama, such as when we Rise about the
gay rights movement, and as a father to one of the exonerated Central
Park five in when they see us. I was that kid that
You know, the neighbors thought wasn't gonna make it. Also in a series
of documentaries he made raised in the system in which Williams took
viewers into juvenile detention centers and prisons
survive off the week and black market of visceral look into the world
of crime and illegal markets. In the memoir, Williams wrote candidly
of his own continuing struggles with addiction.
Also of the dark places His roles often took him and the difficulties
he had returning from them. NPR's Eric Deggans the fact that he would
take on those roles anyway, knowing the danger to his sobriety sort
of spoke to have the mission that he felt as a performer to bring
these men to life, even though it was a great risk to his own sobriety
and health.
I thought that that was sort of the tragic dilemma of his life. On
September 6th 2021 Michael K. Williams was found dead of an overdose
of fentanyl laced heroin. He was 54.
Four men were charged for distributing the drugs that led to his
overdose. You weeks it will be a year already.
I feel like it was just yesterday. What I understand is is what Michael
would want us to understand that there's a lot more work to do.
And that we can use this situation as an opportunity to make people
more aware.
About
Substance abuse and addiction. And how do we help people?
Um then.
We have gained something. We have made progress
of rage when it comes to Michael's death.
And a lot of sadness. I hope that what comes out of this is Michael's
legacy.
And that is a legacy of love.
And healing.
And
A mirror that's put up to all of us.
That we're not just telling the stories like Michael told in the
wire or the night of
Or when they see us, but we're actually doing things to change that.
In addition to scenes from my life, a final on camera roll comes
this month with the release of the film breaking
Well, Dana Rockland continues the work she and Williams began with
We build the block and other programs across the city for the PBS
news hour. I'm Jeffrey Brown in Brooklyn.