The actor was discovered in the living room of his Williamsburg apartment by his nephew. It was said that Williams possibly died of a drug overdose, with police saying no foul play is suspected. Williams had been vocal over the years about his struggles with substance abuse. The actor, a five-time Emmy nominee, recently received a nomination for his role as Montrose Freeman in the HBO drama “Lovecraft Country.”

Williams was a Brooklyn native raised in East Flatbush. He was discovered by rapper Tupac Shakur and made his acting debut in the Shakur drama “Bullet” in 1996. In 2002 he received critical acclaim playing Omar Little in the HBO drama “The Wire.” The character initially slated to have just a seven-episode arc, but Williams’ portrayal was so admired that the character was extended through the series’ run in 2008. Related Robert Dowling, Innovative Publisher and Editor of Hollywood Reporter, Has Died at Age 83 ‘In a Business Where It’s Easy to Make Enemies, He Made Friends’ Related 2023 Oscars: ‘Avatar’ Is the One to Beat in Visual Effects The Best Zombie Movies Ever Made
Williams worked with several top directors throughout his career, in both film and television. He played Chalky White in Martin Scorsese’s “Boardwalk Empire” from 2010 to 2014, Paul Thomas Anderson in “Inherent Vice,” Ben Affleck in “Gone Baby Gone,” and Steve McQueen in 2013’s “12 Years a Slave.” The actor’s appearance in various television shows were generally well-received, from “Alias” to an episode of “Law and Order: Special Victims’ Unit.” Though he was never nominated for “The Wire,” he received his first Emmy nomination for playing Jack Gee in the 2015 musical biopic “Bessie.” He would later be nominated for “The Night Of” and “When They See Us.” The actor was praised by a number of LGBTQ Black writers who have cited Williams’ nuanced portrayal of gay characters in “The Wire,” Hap and Leonard,” and “Lovecraft Country” as barrier breaking for the Black community. Williams had several two projects completed with another currently in post. He was slated to play Doc Broadus in an upcoming biopic on George Foreman but it’s unknown how far into production, if at all, the film was at his passing. We will update this with more information as it comes. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.