Actors and Celebrities Who Died of a Fentanyl Overdose/Poisoning
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and up to 100 times stronger than morphine. It is prescribed to treat severe chronic pain caused by cancer or serious injuries.
However, it is cheap and easy to produce illegally, so is used to lace other illicit drugs such as meth or cocaine, or sold on the street to people who think they are buying a pain killer such as Percocet or Vicodin. Users often take fentanyl unknowingly, and death can occur from ingesting as little as half a pill.
However, it is cheap and easy to produce illegally, so is used to lace other illicit drugs such as meth or cocaine, or sold on the street to people who think they are buying a pain killer such as Percocet or Vicodin. Users often take fentanyl unknowingly, and death can occur from ingesting as little as half a pill.
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- Music Artist
- Composer
- Actor
Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Mattie Shaw, a jazz singer and social worker, and John L. Nelson, a lyricist and pianist. His father's stage name was "Prince Rogers". His parents were both from African-American families from Louisiana. They separated during his youth, which lead him to move back and forth. Prince had a troubled relationship with his step-father which lead him to run away from home. Prince was adopted by a family called the Andersons. Prince soon after became friends with the Anderson's son, Andre Anderson (Cymone) together along with Charles Smith they joined a band called Grand Central. The band later renamed themselves Champagne and were a fairly successful live band, however soon diminished.
Prince at the age of eighteen started working on high-quality demo tracks with Chris Moon. With these demo tracks Prince eventually ended up signing a recording contract with Warner Brothers Records and was the youngest producer associated with the label. Prince made his debut on the record label with his 1978 album, For You. It wasn't a strong successful album, however it was fair for a beginning artist and ranked 163 on the U.S. Pop Charts. Prince's next releases would tend to do much better on the charts with his singles, "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and I Wanna Be Your Lover in 1979. This would start to introduce Prince as a person who presented sexually explicit material into the music industry. However Prince didn't begin to attract mainstream artists until he release his single, 1999. This single began to be noticed by M.T.V. viewers and this would make him a part of the main-stream music media. Prince released two more singles called Little Red Corvette and Delirious. The album featured Prince's new band, The Revolution. In 1984 Prince would release what would be seen as an admired and profound masterpiece the feature film/sound-track album, Purple Rain in 1984. Prince's father contributed to this album, by cowriting the chord sequence for a couple of his songs. Prince continued to give cowriting credit to his father on several other albums, as his famous chord sequence would be used in several of Prince's singles and albums.
A lot of Prince's songs did not agree with listeners and one of his songs, Darling Nikki prompted a group of people to start a censorship organization called, Parents Music Resource Center (P.M.R.C.) as the track implemented grinding ludicrous acts such as masturbating, which stunned listeners. Prince however continued to release various other singles with the same platform his memorable releases being, Around The World In A Day, Parade, Love Sexy, and Batman.
Prince released a sequel to Purple Rain in 1990 called Graffiti Bridge, a soundtrack album accompanied this movie entitled, Graffiti Bridge. The film did terrible in box-office and was nominated for several Razzie awards. Many people saw the sound-track album, as the high point of the film.
In 1991, Prince assembled a new band called, The New Power Generation with this band he would release singles such as Diamond And Pearls, Cream, and Gett Off. Prince eventually changed his stage name from Prince to a symbol, which lead people to call him, "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince". Prince soon took back his old stage name.
In the 1990s, Prince continued to release singles such as Came, The Gold Experience, Chaos And Disorder, and Emancipation. With the rise of the new millennium, Prince released material such as a religious album called The Rainbow Children,One Nite Alone,The Chocolate Invasion,The Slaughter House, and had a collaboration with Stevie Wonder on Stevie's single called, What The Fuss in 2005.
Prince died on April 21, 2016 in Chanhassen, Minnesota, at his Paisley Park recording studio complex. He was 57.
Prince will be remembered as a musician and artist who inspired millions through his music, and set an inspirational platform which others still abide by.Died April 21, 2016, age 57
He purportedly thought he was taking the pain pill Vicodin, not realizing it was counterfeit and laced with fentanyl. It is not known from whom he obtained the drug- Michael Alig was born in South Bend, Indiana. He was a founding member of the notorious Club Kids, a group of young club goers led by Alig and James St. James in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Alig learned from mentors, including St. James, while rising in popularity and prominence in the national underground club scene. Alig was also influential in the early promotion of DJ Keoki, Jenny Talia, Freez, Richie Rich, and many other Club Kid personalities. The Club Kids' outrageous behavior resulted in their appearing on the news and the television talk show circuit.
Alig's most notorious parties were held at The Limelight, owned by Peter Gatien. The Limelight was closed by the police, but subsequently reopened several times during the 1990s. In September 2003, it reopened under the name "Avalon".
The events of Alig's years as a club promoter up to his arrest were examined in the 1998 documentary, Party Monster (1998), and recreated in a 2003 film of the same name (see Party Monster (2003)), starring Macaulay Culkin as Alig and Seth Green as St. James. The events are also covered in St. James's memoir, 'Disco Bloodbath'.
Alig was eligible for parole in November 2006, but was denied. He was again denied parole in July 2008 and had his conditional release date in March 2010. His release was held up after Alig received another ticket for prescription drug use. Alig was eventually released on parole in May 2014.Died December 24, 2020, age 54, of an overdose of fentanyl, heroin, and meth
Was a club promoter and leader of the Club Kids, a group of influencers who frequented New York City underground nightclubs
On March 17, 1996, he and his roommate killed fellow Club Kid, Angel Melendez, following an argument. They dismembered his body and threw it in the Hudson River
The 2003 film "Party Monster" starring Macauley Culkin is a fictionalized account of the case - Additional Crew
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gregory Tyree Boyce was born on 5 December 1989 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He was an actor and assistant director, known for Twilight (2008), True to the Game 2 (2020) and Team Kaylie (2019). He died on 13 May 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.Died May 13, 2020, age 30, from an overdose of fentanyl and cocaine
He and his girlfriend were found together deceased in their home- Angus Cloud was born on 10 July 1998 in Oakland, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Abigail (2024), Your Lucky Day (2023) and Euphoria (2019). He died on 31 July 2023 in Oakland, California, USA.Died July 31, 2023, age 25, of an overdose of fentanyl, cocaine, meth, and benzos
Was an actor best known for the HBO show "Euphoria" - Music Department
- Actor
- Composer
With over 17 million records sold worldwide, Grammy award-winning and multi-platinum recording artist Coolio is an artist known around the world as a musical and cooking master of extraordinary reinvention. Growing up during the time of tremendous change in Compton, Calif., Coolio fed on struggle and used it as a launching pad of continual reinvention that led to selling over 17 million records globally and a long list of concerts to adoring fans in Africa, Israel, Russia, Japan, Thailand, Brazil, Australia, Turkey, the United States and throughout Europe. He gave back to the community by serving as the spokesman for the Asthma and Allergies Foundation. Coolio initially took over the world rap scene through the "Gangsta's Paradise" release, which won a Grammy Award in 1996 for Best Rap Performance, Solo. "Gangsta's Paradise" would also be featured on the "Dangerous Minds" soundtrack and movie. "Gangsta's Paradise," also featuring LV on vocals, was also nominated for a Grammy for Best Song of the Year and it sold over six million copies and was Billboard Magazine's number one single in 1995. The world recognition led to his music being featured Coolio for several major motion pictures including: Space Jam, Clueless, The Big Payback, Panther, New Jersey Drive, The Jerk Boys, Eddie, Half Baked and many more. He also composed the theme song for the popular kids TV series Kenan and Kel on Nickelodeon. The awards for his hard-hitting style are many. Coolio has won an American Music award, three MTV awards, two Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and a World Music award. He has received six Grammy award nominations (1994, 1995 and 1996), two Billboard Music awards (1994 and 1996), two ASCAP awards (1996, 1997), three MTV video awards (1996 and 1997), four American Online awards (1996) and was the Playboy Music Poll winner in 1997. Coolio successfully made the transition from performer to actor during the 90s. He co-stared in the motion picture Retirement with Bill Cobb, Peter Falk, Charlie Murphy and Rip Torn. The film featured music from Coolio's "Return of the Gangsta" album. Coolio has also starred in several HBO films and series as well as making cameos in Bateman Dare Devil. His television accomplishments have included the reality TV show on the Oxygen network, "Coolio's Rules," and the ghetto funk cooking web series, "Cooking with Coolio," which logged over four million hits on the web. Television appearances included programs like Celebrity Cook Off and Celebrity Chopped. His musical collaborations continued with "From the Bottom to the Top." Coolio changed his style and opened up to working with many European and International disc jockeys such as Benny Benassi, Ives la rock, and Paul Oakenfold just to name a few. He also got the aide of his son A.I., who was a featured artist on the album. The first single is collaboration with Coolio and the Oscar-winning "Ennio Morricone," one of the most famous soundtrack composers of the last 50 years. Coolio's Album "El Cool Magnigico" was released in Europe on Jan 15, 2003. Featured artists on that album included hip-hop performer Miss Toi, country legend Kenny Rogers, Krazye Bone from Bone thugs n Harmony, B-real of Cypress Hill and Daz Dillinger. Associated Press stated that, "Coolio returns to Hip-Hop with El Cool Magnifico, and every track on the disc is a winner." The New York Post praised the album and wrote, "El Cool Magnifico is excellent from top to bottom". The album sold over 1.8 million copies worldwide. No stranger to the world of cartoons, Coolio recorded the single and music video "Dexter" (what's his name) for "Dexter's Laboratory: Home Boy Genius - The Hip-Hop Experiment." This was a creative and fun album featuring big name hip-hop artists such as De La Soul and Will I Am. "The Hip-Hop Experiment" album features original songs inspired by Dexter's Laboratory, the top rated, Emmy nominated Cartoon Network series. An ingenious chameleon, Coolio launched his book, "Cookin' with Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price," in 2009, which would become a New York Times bestseller. This move expanded his audience base from the stage to kitchens across the globe. Branding himself as the "ghetto gourmet," Coolio used his creativity and the inspiration of his mother to refine old-school recipes into accessible, fresh options. Coolio's interest in cooking started as a youngster. After a failed grilled cheese, his mother chose to make him pay her back for the charred mess by helping out in the kitchen. Rather than hate every minute of cleaning and scrubbing, Coolio fell in love with cooking. Later in life, when his mother passed, the love of cooking turned into an obsession with rediscovering and reinventing all her old recipes. He interviewed aunts, friends and relatives until he found her lost secrets. Then, Coolio took the lessons of his elders and morphed the recipes into healthier options that remained affordable. The secret ingredient of Coolio's recipes is his unconventional approach to culinary instruction. His style is brash and in your face for which he doesn't apologize. "People learn better when they're entertained. Cooking isn't just for the starched-stiff elite. Everyone should know how to cook something," said the ghetto gourmet. Performing and touring worldwide as a musical artist, Coolio is also working on a new cookbook with his best friend and band mate, hip hop jazz saxophonist Jarez. The recipes will continue on the theme of insane deliciousness that anyone can recreate. The recipes are designed to be accessible with easy to assemble ingredients that everyone will recognize. From the tang of balsamic vinegar to the freshness of chopped peppers, the new cookbook is something that everyone needs in their kitchen.Died September 28, 2022, age 59, of an overdose of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine
Was a rapper best known for his Grammy Award-winning song "Gangsta's Paradise," which was featured in the movie "Dangerous Minds"- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Justin Townes Earle was born on 4 January 1982 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Beautiful Boy (2018), The Motel Life (2012) and Mystery Road (2018). He was married to Jenn Marie Earle. He died on 23 August 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.Died August 20, 2020, age 38, of cocaine laced with fentanyl
He began using drugs at age 12, and had been to rehab 9 times- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Jacobs spent most of his childhood moving around the East Coast with his family, eventually settling in Tampa, Florida. As a drummer he won the 1978 "Most Talented" trophy at Greco Junior High School, but after relocating to Queens, New York (as a result of his parents' divorce), he traded his drums in for a set of turntables upon discovering and marveling over hip hop while the art form was still in an underground developmental stage. He was mentored in the craft by his cousin Rene Negron (a.k.a. DJ-Stretch), and their close friend Shawn Trone (a.k.a. MC Shah-T of the parody- rap group No Face) who suggested Greg use the name "Shah-G". Jacobs liked the idea, but mistakenly thought his friend said "Shock-G", and began using that name instead.
Less than two years later, after returning to Tampa, he dropped out of Chamberlain High School to form the Master Blasters, a mobile deejay crew which featured three DJs and four emcees at its height. They performed at parties, and also for the crowds at Riverfront Park's outdoor Sunday gatherings, eventually capturing the interest of Tony Stone, a program director at WTMP radio, which was the city's primary R&B station. Tony offered Jacobs, who was sixteen at the time, a job deejaying on the air, and for a short while, as "Gregory Racker," he was the youngest radio personality in central Florida with a regular time slot.[1] After being fired for playing the fifteen-minute-long album version of "(Not Just) Knee Deep" by Funkadelic in a five-minute time slot, and also after tensions with his father escalated, Jacobs found himself backpacking the United States for a few years, drifting through odd jobs and petty criminal adventures. It was during this excursion that his focus switched from deejaying to keyboard playing, and while utilizing piano practice-rooms at music stores and colleges around the country, he effectively taught himself to play the piano.
Deciding to pursue music seriously, he returned home, quickly obtained a diploma, and began attending Hillsborough Community College, where he studied music theory under Jim Burge and piano under Patricia J. Trice. It was there at HCC that he met and formed a bond with Kenneth Waters, and the two began performing together under various names including The Chill Factor, and also The Four Horsemen, which included MC Skoobie-D, and the MD Dazzlin Doc-P who had recently moved to Tampa from the Bronx, hip hop's birthplace. Then in 1985, after two years of producing local artists for hire, playing solo piano gigs around town, performing with Kenny, and being a keyboardist in Warren Allen Brooks' band, Greg and his aspiring-actress girlfriend (Davita Watts) set their sights beyond Tampa, and eloped to Los Angeles in search of greater opportunity. There he played keyboards in Kenny McCloud's pop-funk band "Onyx" before leaving LA and finally arriving in the San Francisco bay area where he found work in an Oakland music store, and where Digital Underground would happen a few years later.Died April 22, 2021, age 57, of a combo of fentanyl, alcohol, and methamphetamine
Was the lead singer of the hip-hop group Digital Underground- Actor
- Sound Department
Clark Gable III (born Clark James Gable, September 20, 1988) was an American actor and model. Gable started modeling at the age of five. He modeled for many designers including Prada, Chrome Hearts, Disney and the iconic Converse "Classics" campaign. Gable appeared in numerous music videos including those for artists Madison Cain and Lucy Schwartz. He also starred in and hosted the controversial hit reality television show Cheaters since 2012, syndicated in over 120 Countries worldwide.
He was a business entrepreneur in the tech and fashion industry, and spent his free time surfing, boxing, riding dirt bikes and flying RC planes. Gable resided in Malibu, California and was the grandson and namesake of the legendary Hollywood actor and American movie icon, Clark Gable. Clark Gable III studied acting at the New York Film Academy and completed his first major motion picture while studying abroad in Italy.
He died on February 22, 2019 in Dallas, Texas.Died February 22, 2019, age 30, of an overdose of fentanyl, oxycodone, and Xanax
Was an actor and model best known for hosting the TV show "Cheaters;" was the grandson of classic actor Clark Gable- Actor
- Writer
- Composer
Paul Gray was born on 8 April 1972 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Resident Evil (2002), Rollerball (2002) and Final Fight: Streetwise (2006). He was married to Brenna. He died on 24 May 2010 in Urbandale, Iowa, USA.Died May 24, 2010, age 38, of an overdose of fentanyl and morphine
Was a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning band Slipknot- Actress
- Soundtrack
Domino Harvey was born on 7 August 1969 in Belgravia, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Domino (2005). She died on 27 June 2005 in West Hollywood, California, USA.Died June 27, 2005, age 35, of a fentanyl overdose
Was the daughter of classic actor Laurence Harvey
The 2005 movie "Domino," starring Keira Knightley, was based on her life as a bounty hunter- Actor
- Cinematographer
- Editor
Austin Majors was a scholar as well as an actor, skipping a grade, and getting high marks in all subjects. Majors graduated second in his high school class in 2013. He later studied at the University of Southern California in the School of Cinematic Arts, majoring in Film and Television Production, minoring in Music Industry. Majors was a brother of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. An avid outdoorsman, hes was a junior assistant Scoutmaster in Boy Scouts. He has earned scouting's highest rank, obtaining the honor of Eagle Scout at the age of fourteen. Majors liked helping others and lent his support to a variety of charitable causes including Kids with a Cause, the Ronald McDonald House, and the Jonathan Jaques Childrens Cancer Center. When not in front of the camera, he enjoyed making films of his own, backpacking, riding horses, attending concerts, traveling and playing sports. Majors received the Young Artists Award for Best Performance in a Television Series for his compelling work on NYPD Blue. His work on Treasure Planet earned him another nomination for Best Performance in a Voice Over Role.Died February 11, 2023, age 27, of a fentanyl overdose
Was a former child actor best known for his role on the TV show "NYPD Blue" as the son of Detective Sipowicz (Dennis Franz)- Writer
- Producer
- Actress
Michelle McNamara was born on 14 April 1970 in Oak Park, Illinois, USA. She was a writer and producer, known for I'll Be Gone in the Dark (2020), 51 Paintings (2012) and What is Real? The Story of Jivamukti Yoga (2016). She was married to Patton Oswalt. She died on 21 April 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Died April 21, 2016, age 46, of an overdose of fentanyl, Xanax, and Adderall
Died the same day as Prince
Was married to actor-comedian Patton Oswalt, who acknowledged that she had been addicted to opioids- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Mac Miller was born on 19 January 1992 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a music artist and actor, known for Scary Movie V (2013), Tall Girl (2019) and Lethal Weapon (2016). He died on 7 September 2018 in San Fernando Valley, California, USA.Died September 7, 2018, age 26, of a mixture of alcohol, cocaine, and counterfeit Percocet laced with fentanyl
He had spoken openly about his struggles with drug addiction and severe depression. His life was chronicled in the 2022 book “Most Dope: The Extraordinary Life of Mac Miller” by Paul Cantor
In April 2022 one man was sentenced to 17-1/2 years in prison and another to 10 years in prison for their roles in selling him the drugs- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Lil Peep was born on 1 November 1996 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a music artist and actor, known for The F**k-It List (2020), Lil Peep Feat. Clams Casino: 4 Gold Chains (2018) and Lil Peep: Drugz (2020). He died on 15 November 2017 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.Died November 5, 2017, age 21, of a combination of fentanyl, Xanax, Tramadol, oxycodone, and other drugs
His mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against his management company. She alleged they were negligent and complicit in supplying drugs to him, and in allowing drugs to be taken openly while he was on tour. The suit was settled in February 2023- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Thomas Earl Petty was an American musician and actor who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the late 1980s super-group the Traveling Wilburys, and had success as a solo artist.
Petty had many hit records. Hit singles with the Heartbreakers include "Don't Do Me Like That" (1979), "Refugee" (1980), "The Waiting" (1981), "Don't Come Around Here No More" (1985) and "Learning to Fly" (1991). Petty's solo hits include "I Won't Back Down" (1989), "Free Fallin'" (1989), and "You Don't Know How It Feels" (1994). Solo or with the Heartbreakers, he had hit albums from the 1970s through the 2010s and sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Petty was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in February 2017 for his contributions to music and for his philanthropy.
In 2017, Petty died of an accidental drug overdose, at the age of 66, one week after the end of the Heartbreakers' 40th Anniversary Tour.Died October 2, 2017, age 66, 18 days before his 67th birthday
Died of a combination of several drugs, including fentanyl, oxycodone, and Xanax, among others- Actor
- Soundtrack
Adam Rich was born on 12 October 1968 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Code Red (1981), Eight Is Enough (1977) and Dungeons & Dragons (1983). He died on 8 January 2023 in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USA.Died January 7, 2023, age 54, of a fentanyl overdose
Was a child actor best known for the TV show "Eight is Enough"
Struggled with depression and drug abuse for most of his life and was a strong advocate for mental health treatment- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Tyler Sanders was an Emmy-nominated actor for the role of Leo in Amazon's highly popular and successful spin-off Just Add Magic: Mystery City. Tyler was a student of acting since age 10, and also studied improv and stand-up comedy; he worked with dialect coaches on his many accents. He shot a half hour pilot with Leah Remini in 2017, and appeared in episodes of ABC's The Rookie and AMC's popular Fear the Walking Dead, among other projects.Died June 16, 2022, age 18, of a fentanyl overdose
He had a history of substance abuse
Was a child actor best known for his appearance in the TV series "Fear the Walking Dead," and the TV show "Just Add Magic: Mystery City, for which he received an Emmy Award nomination- Tyler Skaggs was born on 13 July 1991 in Woodland Hills, California, USA. He was married to Carli Miles. He died on 1 July 2019 in Southlake, Texas, USA.DIED July 1, 2019, 12 days before his 28th birthday
He aspirated on vomit after taking a combination of fentanyl, oxycodone, and alcohol
Was a Major League Baseball player for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels
In 2022 a former Los Angeles Angels employee, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for providing him the drugs - Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Freddy Soto started out as a limousine driver for Richard Pryor. After making $5 from his first paying stand-up gig at St. Mark's Jazz Club in Venice, Soto became the doorman at the Comedy Store in West Hollywood and made $25 a night. He eventually headlined comedy clubs, opened for singer Marc Anthony on a 30-city tour, and appeared on late-night talk shows.
Soto toured the nation in 2001 and 2002 as one of the Three Amigos including Hispanic comics Pablo Francisco and Carlos Mencia and a DVD of the concert tour was released by Miramax in May.
In addition to several television pilots for UPN and CBS, Soto landed a part in the 2004 film "Spanglish," serving as a translator for the housekeeper.
Soto is survived by wife, Cory, and 3-year-old daughter, Cruz.Died July 10, 2005, age 35, of a fentanyl overdose- Actor
- Soundtrack
Brian Tarantina was born on 27 March 1959 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Summer of Sam (1999), Knight and Day (2010) and Jacob's Ladder (1990). He died on 2 November 2019 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.Died November 2, 2019, age 60, of an overdose of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and Valium- Logan Kari Williams was born on April 9, 2003, in Vancouver, British Columbia to Marlyse, a Swiss mother, and Clive, a South African father. He landed his very first audition when he was ten years old playing the part of Jack Spehn in the Hallmark movie The Color of Rain (2014). He later starred on The Flash (2014) as the young Barry Allen. Logan attended a private school but mostly enjoyed hanging out with his friends, skateboarding, soccer and music. He died tragically in 2020, one week before his 17th birthday following a three-year battle with opioid addiction. Marlyse Williams has said she hopes her son's story will help raise awareness of addiction and prevent some other mother from experiencing the same kind of pain.Died April 2, 2020, age 16, of a fentanyl overdose
According to his mother, he had struggled with opioid addiction for three years prior to his death. She had placed him in drug rehab centers in both the U.S. and his native Canada - Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Emmy-nominated actor and producer Michael Kenneth Williams was one of his generation's most respected and acclaimed talents. By bringing complicated and charismatic characters to life--often with surprising tenderness--Williams established himself as a gifted and versatile performer with a unique ability to mesmerize audiences with his stunning character portrayals.
Born in 1966 in Brooklyn, Williams was best known for his remarkable work on The Wire (2002). The wit and humor that Williams brought to Omar, the whistle-happy, profanity-averse, openly gay drug dealer-robbing stickup man, earned him high praise, and made Omar one of television's most memorable characters. Williams also co-starred in HBO's critically acclaimed series Boardwalk Empire (2010), in which he played Chalky White, a 1920s bootlegger and the impeccably suited, veritable mayor of Atlantic City's African American community. In 2012, "Boardwalk Empire" won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. He received his first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie for HBO's Bessie (2015) and subsequently received his second nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for his portrayal of Freddy in HBO's The Night Of (2016).
In 2018, Vice (2013) returned for its sixth season with an extended special season premiere produced by and featuring Williams as he embarked on a personal journey to expose the root of the American mass incarceration crisis: the juvenile justice system. The episode "Raised in the System" offered a frank and unflinching look at those caught up the system, exploring why the country's mass incarceration problem cannot be fixed without first addressing the juvenile justice problem. Williams investigated the solutions that local communities were employing that resulted in drastic drops in both crime and incarceration. Michael garnered his first Emmy nomination as a producer for this incredible documentary and continues to host screenings across the country as a way to educate and raise awareness.
Giving back to the community played an important role in Williams' off-camera life. He launched Making Kids Win, a charitable organization, the primary objective of which is to build community centers in urban neighborhoods that are in need of safe spaces for children to learn and play. Williams served as the ACLU's Ambassador of Smart Justice.
Williams began his career as a performer by dancing professionally at age 22. After numerous appearances in music videos and as a background dancer on concert tours for Madonna and George Michael, Williams decided to pursue acting seriously. He participated in several productions of the La MaMA Experimental Theater, the prestigious National Black Theater Company. and the Theater for a New Generation, directed by Mel Williams.
Michael K. Williams was born, raised, and resided in Brooklyn, New York, until his death on September 6, 2021.Died September 26, 2021, age 54, of cocaine and heroin laced with fentanyl
In a 2017 interview with the New York Times he said:
"Addiction doesn't go away. It's an everyday struggle for me, but I'm fighting."
In February 2022 four men were arrested in connection with his death. In July 2023 they pled guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl