Milo Hooper was working as a police officer in downtown Harrisburg late at night 15 years ago when he spotted Michael K. Williams parking his car to go into a pub.
He recognized Williams, who was playing the character of Omar Little in the HBO series “The Wire” at the time. As it turned out, Williams was in Harrisburg visiting his mother, who moved to the area from their hometown of Brooklyn.
Hooper chatted on the street with Williams, who graciously answered his questions about the show. Hooper was thrilled with the brief interaction.
But then Williams surprised Hooper by inviting him and another officer to accompany him on the set to watch the live filming of the finale for Season 4. The series, which explored the gritty underworld of corruption, and the police in Baltimore, was going to wrap up in a few days.
The men exchanged cell phone numbers and a few days later, Hooper and Deric Moody picked Williams up at his mother’s home and drove 90 minutes together to Baltimore, where they spent the day with him. They ate at local joints with other actors from the show, hung out in Williams’ trailer and later dropped him off at his hotel.
“It was just like three friends driving to Baltimore,” Hooper said. “He was just a regular guy. It wasn’t awkward at all…And he stayed in touch.”
Other Harrisburg residents remember similar experiences with Williams, who eventually was nominated for five Emmys for his scene-stealing performances. Despite his growing success, he stayed humble, accessible and enjoyed quietly doing good deeds in the city whenever he could.
He attended charitable events, spoke at school assemblies, handed out holiday turkeys and children’s gifts and even agreed to appear in a short film by local filmmakers.
Williams, 54, died last week at his Brooklyn home. The cause of death has not been released. He will have his funeral services in Harrisburg, his adopted hometown.
His services are private at the request of his family. He is survived by his mother Paula Thompson-Williams, partner Goli Samii, three children, four sisters and three brothers.
Over the past decades, Harrisburg residents would run into Williams at local shops and events.
“He came to Harrisburg as often as he could,” said Johnathan Branam, the funeral home manager for Hooper Memorial Home, which is handling Williams’ services. “He loved his mama. And he was a man of the community. Harrisburg embraced him as an adopted son.”
Williams often teamed up with another local celebrity, Chris Franklin, of the Harlem Globetrotters, who grew up in the capital city. They were known to be close friends, Branam said.
Otto Banks, Harrisburg’s new economic development director, met Williams shortly after his mother moved to town. She had reached out to Banks, who then was a city councilman, because she watched the local government channel often and wanted to share some ideas.
She summoned Banks to her home, where they talked policy and programs and she offered to introduce her son, who was just starting to take off as an actor. Banks and Michael Williams were friends ever since.
When Banks was working in alternative education, Williams would come speak to the students at William Penn.
“He would tell them about his background coming up, with a message that anyone could better themselves and could also be successful,” Banks said.
Williams grew up in the Vanderveer Estates housing complex in New York City, now known as Flatbush Gardens, and was educated in the city’s public school system.
“It was a very turbulent time to grow up in that neighborhood,” he told the Hollywood Reporter in a 2011 interview. “That just made for a lot of violence, a lot of bloodshed.”
Williams enrolled in business classes after high school “to make his mom proud,” but dropped off after being inspired by Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation music video. At age 22, he began his career as a professional dancer, appearing in numerous music videos.
On his 25th birthday, Williams got the scar that became his signature physical feature. He was celebrating at a bar in Queens when a man slashed his face with a razor blade during a fight. He thereafter referred to the scar at his “Buck 50,” since he had to get 150 stitches to close the wound.
Soon after, he caught the eye of the rapper Tupac Shakur, who saw a Polaroid photo of Williams in a production office, and appeared in a film as Shakur’s younger brother. He then won roles in a Martin Scorsese film, and an episode of “The Sopranos.” His career only got more promising from there.
Williams was best known for his work on “The Wire” as ‘Omar,’ a profanity-averse stickup man who targeted drug dealers. He quickly became a fan favorite, with then Sen. Barack Obama publicly announcing that Omar was his favorite actor from the show.
Williams’ mother then brought him to a rally at the Capitol in Harrisburg in 2008 when Obama spoke, and Williams met him afterward, in a life-changing conversation. Williams was struggling with drug addiction at the time.
“Hearing my name come out of his mouth woke me up,” he said, according to a New York Times article. “I realized that my work could really make a difference. "
Williams was a regular presence in the housing complex where he grew up and established and supported many charitable events and foundations in New York and beyond.
Last year, he co-founded Crew Count and We Build The Block: movements that empower local communities and advocated for public safety reform through voter registration and political action, according to his obituary.
One of his most important causes was criminal justice reform, particularly by overhauling the juvenile system. His interest was fueled in part by the experiences of friends and relatives.
“He wanted to use his platform to help others and reach back,” Branam said.
Earlier this year when Banks was running for the Democratic nomination for mayor, Williams made one of his last-known public appearances in Harrisburg. He attended one of Banks campaign events and took pictures with dozens of residents. The men were working on a plan to bring Hollywood to Harrisburg, which would provide jobs and opportunities for local artists.
“He was going to be instrumental in starting a film arts tourism program for the city,” Banks said. “He was working on a show on Netflix and had all the connections.”
Banks was going to use the state’s film tax credit program to try to entice companies to film scenes here. They already do it in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Banks said, but not yet in central Pa.
Williams “was going to be the catalyst to build an arts program,” Banks said. “We were in the process of developing it. When we would hit a roadblock, he was always there to assist.”
The road may be harder now without Williams, Banks said, but he hopes to continue with their shared dream and bring more arts opportunities to the people of Harrisburg.
In one of his final productions, Williams was working with Vice, playing the part of investigative journalist and executive producer for a documentary called “Black Market,” that analyzes illegal markets throughout the world. A second season is currently in post-production and was expected to released next year.
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