Actor Michael K Williams has sadly been found dead at the age of 54, after his nephew discovered him in his New York apartment. The star, who had leading roles in The Wire, 12 Years A Slave and Boardwalk Empire, has now been remembered my other notable names such as Mariah Carey, Elijah Wood and Taraji P Henson.
Michael's co-star from The Wire, Wendell Pierce, also penned an emotional statement about his friend and colleague, referring to him as talented and courageous.
"The depth of my love for this brother, can only be matched by the depth of my pain learning of his loss. A immensely talented man with the ability to give voice to the human condition portraying the lives of those whose humanity is seldom elevated until he sings their truth," Wendell's thoughtful statement begins.
"If you don’t know, you better ask somebody. His name was Michael K. Williams. He shared with me his secret fears then stepped out into his acting with true courage, acting in the face of fear, not in the absence of it. It took me years to learn what Michael had in abundance.
"He was proud of the artist he had become, asking for my advice long after he had surpassed any incite I could have shared. Always truthful, never inauthentic. The kindest of persons. Like two mischievous kids, we would laugh and joke whenever we would meet... For me and Mike we had nothing but respect. So to you, my brother Mike, there is a small comfort that I know, you knew how much we loved you."
Also paying tribute is singer Mariah Carey, who, along with posting three photos of herself and Michael together, wrote a caption on Instagram describing him as 'beautiful' inside and out. "A beautiful soul, a beautiful person, I'll miss you always. Thank you for blessing us with your talent 💔"
Actress Taraji P Henson also took to Instagram to share a moving black and white montage of images of Michael, along with the words: "Rest well my friend. JESUS!!! You will be missed deeply @bkbmg 💔🕊😢."
Other public figures, such as Tamar Braxton commented on the post, with Tamar saying, "Girl….. it’s just too much 😪💔"
Lord Of The Rings star Elijah Wood tweeted that Michael's passing was a loss, especially on the same day as French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo. "Jean-Paul Belmondo and Michael K. Williams in the same day… man, what loss."
The BBC writes that US media have been quoting law enforcement sources as saying Michael's cause of death was drug-related, but that this hasn't been officially confirmed.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
