BrianS81177 Posted September 6, 2021 Share Posted September 6, 2021 I can't think of a single thing I saw Williams in where he didn't do a tremendous job 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Allegedly, it was a heroin overdose. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.T. Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Was totally mesmerized by Williams in his career making role as Omar Little and of course OSJ had our own private thread discussing Hap and Leonard. Williams also carried a lot of the episodes of Lovecraft Country on his back. I was also a big fan of his doc series on VICE, Black Market. Sad to see him pass away in such a tragic manner. Some demons refuse to be exorcized. RIP. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(BP) Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Michael K Williams was one of those actors who wears their passion for performing on their sleeve. He was in the rarefied air of character actors like John Cazale. When Kevin Smith had his daily morning podcast over ten years ago he had him on to gush about The Wire. Williams had his heart set on playing the lead in Django Unchained (I think this was between Will Smith turning it down and Jamie Foxx being cast) and after humoring Smith with Omar Little talk for an hour he turned the show into a platform to campaign for the role. Listening to one of the finest actors I’ve ever seen almost beg Kevin Smith to help get him an audience with Tarantino was something else. I was really bummed for him when Foxx was cast. He had an incredible career and it still felt like the surface was barely scratched on what he was capable of doing. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nofuture Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 I highly recommend listening to Marc Maron's WTF podcast where he talks to Williams about his life and career. He just reposted it today: https://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/remembering-michael-k-williams 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(BP) Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 Oof, it seems like Maron’s had to do a lot of rereleases with eulogy intros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 @J.T.I think only you, me, and John ever watched Hap and Leonard. I loved that show. It still replays in the wee hours every once in awhile because it always shows up on my DVR again. Say what you want about the exploitative nature of Viceland programming, he was a fine host on their Black Market series until either he got too busy or got disinterested. Of course he was also great as Chalky White. Hell, just the other night I watched a minute of Brooklyn's Finest on TV and forgot he was in that too. Never knew that he wanted Django so bad -- and of course, it would have been a better film for it. Probably the most painful thing to think of when I heard about this yesterday was remembering the episode of Tony Bourdain where the two of them ate around Brooklyn, meeting up with Jamie Hector (The Wire's Marlo Stanfield) and neighborhood grannies who still remembered him and his appetite as a kid. Two great human beings just sharing a moment with the rest of us before their own issues made them move on, forever. It breaks my heart. RIP 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted September 7, 2021 Share Posted September 7, 2021 (edited) One more thing and I'll leave this be. I was re-reading the Wire oral history the other day since I found it again in the move, and it's a slim, fast read. At one point Michael is getting fucked up at a club and a young woman there catches his eye; he just sees something in her face, and decides to approach her. That was Felicia Pearson. She'd never acted before and was living the street life in Baltimore selling drugs. He took her to David Simon and got her on The Wire as Snoop, changing her entire life for the better. To help another person at random out like that is a feather in the cap of anyone, but that one's his. Edited September 7, 2021 by Curt McGirt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
username Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 10 hours ago, Curt McGirt said: @J.T.I think only you, me, and John ever watched Hap and Leonard. I loved that show. I I watched Hap & Leonard mainly for Michael K. Williams (I do like Purefoy as well) and it was rather great. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS81177 Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 I just started Hap & Leonard but as much as I respect the man's talents it wasn't for Williams. Or Purefoy. I don't think I need to elaborate further. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Cincinnati Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 13 hours ago, Curt McGirt said: One more thing and I'll leave this be. I was re-reading the Wire oral history the other day since I found it again in the move, and it's a slim, fast read. At one point Michael is getting fucked up at a club and a young woman there catches his eye; he just sees something in her face, and decides to approach her. That was Felicia Pearson. She'd never acted before and was living the street life in Baltimore selling drugs. He took her to David Simon and got her on The Wire as Snoop, changing her entire life for the better. To help another person at random out like that is a feather in the cap of anyone, but that one's his. Title and author, please and thank you. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 All the Pieces Matter - The Inside Story of The Wire Jonathan Abrams Very well done and comprehensive. I really like oral histories anyway, but with having such an array of cast and crew it's especially good in this case. Sadly some like Robert Chew had passed but otherwise pretty much everyone weighs in. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Cincinnati Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 Much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.T. Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 RIP Captain Mauser. Since I am old, I remember him in his "wasn't he that guy in" television roles from Kolchack: The Night Stalker, Starsky & Hutch, and The Incredible Hulk. I think he was also in one of those Slaughter blaxploitation movies. Maybe the second one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 Funnily one of his non-Police Academy movies was soon to be watched by my family as since we are on a Mel Brooks kick - History of the World: Part I was coming soon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranesi Posted September 9, 2021 Share Posted September 9, 2021 Do yourself a favor and watch his magic act on Youtube. You will die of joy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Awww, fuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig H Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Woah, wtf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Sheldon Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 Gone way too young. R.I.P. Chuck The Truck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChesterCopperpot Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS81177 Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 (edited) God damn that one hurts. I was a big fan of Norm MacDonald. I just recently watched Dirty Work for like the 40th time and it's STILL funny as hell. His Burt Reynolds and Bob Dole impressions were always hilarious too. Edited September 14, 2021 by BrianS81177 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.T. Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 (edited) RIP Norm MacDonald. I guess they will try to pin his death on OJ as well. Edited September 14, 2021 by J.T. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS81177 Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 Oh my god I forgot about all the OJ stuff!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaedmc Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 Ugh. This sucks. I knew I shouldn't have clicked on this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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