Actor Michael K. Williams, who first rose to prominence as Omar on the acclaimed HBO series The Wire, has sadly passed away at the age of 54. The report comes from the NY Post, although official details about the actor's death have not been disclosed.

Williams first gained notice as an actor on The Wire, stealing scenes as the character Omar across 42 episodes. From there, his star rose quickly, gaining another series regular role on HBO's Boardwalk Empire and later starring in Hap and Leonard. Williams earned four Primetime Emmy Awards nominations throughout his career for his work on Bessie, The Night Of, and When They See Us, and he's currently nominated for Best Supporting Actor for HBO's Lovecraft Country.

Williams had a knack for instantly making a character feel human, and you can feel that through the range of his work. His feature film roles include The Purge: Anarchy, Inherent Vice, 12 Years a Slave, and Life During Wartime, and he had two upcoming films in the can at the time of his death. He was a performer that still had a lot left to give, and as recently as Lovecraft Country was exploring new avenues of his artform.

Our thoughts are with Williams' friends and family at this difficult time.

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