Michael K. Williams Advocated For More Gay Intimacy On ‘The Wire’
In his newly published memoir, Michael K. Williams reflected on playing iconic character Omar Little in HBO’s critically acclaimed series The Wire before his death.
The five-time Emmy nominee, who passed away from a drug overdose in September 2021 at 54, portrayed the gay drug dealer Little in The Wire from 2002 to 2008.
“As for Omar’s homosexuality, it was groundbreaking 20 years ago, and I admit that at first I was scared to play a gay character,” Williams wrote in an excerpt from his memoir Scenes From My Life co-authored with Jon Sternfeld, per Vulture. “I think my initial fear of Omar’s sexuality came from my upbringing, the community that raised me, and the stubborn stereotypes of gay characters. Once I realized that Omar was non-effeminate, that I didn’t have to talk or walk in a flamboyant way, a lot of that fear drained away. I made Omar my own. He wasn’t written as a type, and I wouldn’t play him as one.”
According to Williams, since Little was the “opposite of the stereotypical hood types,” he pushed the show’s production to showcase all facets of his character’s life onscreen, including his gay relationships.
“Everyone was dancing around their intimacy issue,” he wrote. “There was lots of touching hair and rubbing lips and things like that. I felt like if we were going to do this, we should go all in. I think the directors were scared, and I said to one of them, ‘You know gay people f**k, right?'”
Williams even noted that he told co-star Darnall that it was “time to step it up with Omar and Brandon” when it came to relaying their affection for one another.
”‘I’m thinking in this scene we should kiss,'” Williams told Darnall on set.
“‘OK, but — that’s not in the script, though,'” he replied.
“‘But it feels right,’ I said. ‘Don’t it?’ ‘Maybe let’s run it by the director and see what he has to say?’ he suggested. ‘Naw,’ I said. ‘I don’t think we should ask anyone. I think we should just do it,'” Williams added. “He was game. ‘OK, but don’t tell me when you’re going to do it. Make it spontaneous so it looks natural. Just go for it.’ They called us for rehearsal and the crew was still putting the set together, getting the lights and camera up while we ran through it. When I went in and kissed Michael on the lips, everyone stopped what they were doing and went slack-jawed.”
Williams would go on to describe how precedent-setting the improvised scene was. Read the full excerpt here.
