By Victor C. Kirk
I was his friend, but he didn’t know me.
It’s strange how we see a movie or TV series and embrace a character. We then look for him or her to “star” in another movie or play a dominant role in a Broadway play. No matter how small the part we embrace the characters they play and look forward to new releases announcing their presence in another sure to be blockbuster.
Your embrace of the actor deepens when you meet them in person. My kinship with Richard Pryor grew after meeting him in Baton Rouge during the filming of the movie “The Toy” which starred Jackie Gleason. My photo with him while on the set remains one of my most treasured items. I had the distinct advantage of being a paid extra in the movie. Just a “crowd” scene that apparently was cut from the final film. For several years before and after meeting him in person, I like others used his curse jokes as an intro to male bonding moments. In my prime, curse jokes that were classy and deemed “one upmanship” were God sent when you are competing in very subtle male ways.
And so, it was with Michael Williams, an embrace of who he represented when he played the parts he played. A Black man humbled by his past incarceration but elevated by a skill level depicted in roles where the human spirit triumphed. A checkered past gave credibility to the roles he played and humanized a Black man’s hidden fear of the world around him. His genius was never more evident than during the HBO super hit “The Wire”. I like so many others sat on the edge of my seat during every episode of HBO’s “The Wire”. Michael played the character “Omar” and stole every scene he was in. A rugged yet emphatic figure – a drug dealer with a “code of honor”. I am pleased with my purchase of the DVD set at the end of the HBO series. A moment of time to revisit the series must be allocated soon.
I met him by pure coincidence in of all places Alexandria, Louisiana. While attending a business gala I noticed him standing with a small group. Not known for being a shy person, I introduced myself and showered the actor with platitudes. More comments about being proud to see a Black actor in person whose acting tugged at the hearts of so many. He smiled, thanked me, and shook my hand. I gracefully departed but shared the delight with the gala’s organizer – Myron Lawson. Myron acknowledged “Omar’s” presence, gave a brief acknowledgement of his superior acting, and the crowd followed by giving Michael a standing applause.
I am always puzzled by the death by drugs of those who actually represent the “culture” of Black America. John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holliday, David Ruffin, Dinah Washington, Whitney Houston, to name a few in the entertainment industry. Their combined unique skills transformed America and ushered in a new generation of cultural leaders who gave a new sense of pride to being Black in America. You wonder if they actually had no idea of their fame and regard among the masses? You have to wonder if a “drug dealer” comes with the contract or just lurks in the shadows among the party participants. Often the drug dealer is posing as a physician too willing to provide the “famous” with whatever they require to keep themselves (the physician) in the loop. I was surprised to learn that the addiction of John Coltrane was pain pills prescribed by his physician. A terrible car accident that killed one of the other passengers also resulted in his breaking his back. Drugs became more and more powerful to ease the pain. A physician was in the midst of his addiction. Prince succumbed to the use of pain killers to ease the strain put on his body to entertain us all. But his pain pills were laced with Fentanyl. He did not know. He trusted someone who let him down.
Michael Kenneth Williams died, but “Omar” remains his legacy. He will forever be remembered as the gritty character living a full but respected life among his peers. He played well the cards life dealt him and in “The Wire” we thank him for humanizing pain, sorrow, suffering, pride, joy, and love with poverty as an afterthought.
Rest In Peace my brother.
