The American actor Michael K Williams, who starred as Omar Little in the widely acclaimed television series The Wire, died of an accidental drug overdose, authorities have said.
The 54-year-old, who played the iconic Baltimore stick-up man in the groundbreaking HBO show, was found dead earlier this month in his apartment in New York.
The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner said in a statement that the cause of Williams' death was "acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine". The death was an accident, according to officials.
The Emmy-nominated actor had been widely hailed for his role in The Wire, in which he played a gay armed robber who specialised in holding up drug dealers.
Williams was also well-known for the role of Albert 'Chalky' White on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, among others. He received multiple Emmy nominations for his work on various shows and films.
Williams had spoken openly of his past struggles with drug addiction, and had told US media that he had spent much of his earnings from The Wire on narcotics.
His work playing Omar attracted the attention of a future US president, with the-then senator Barack Obama calling Williams' role in The Wire his favourite and "a fascinating character".
Source: AFP
