Michael K. Williams’ official cause of death has been announced as an accidental drug overdose.
The 54-year-old The Wire actor who was found dead in his penthouse apartment on Labor Day weekend had publicly chronicled his struggles with addiction and when it was reported that drug paraphernalia was also found in his apartment, it was assumed that overdose was the cause of death and now it has been confirmed.
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According to New York City’s Chief Medical Examiner, the actor’s official cause of death was “acute intoxication due to a lethal combination of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine.”
As the investigation surrounding Williams’ cause of death has shifted from determining the cause, to determining who supplied the actor with the substances, Hollywood has made sure to keep Williams’ name and legacy alive through tributes both online and on the biggest stages.
Countless Instagram tributes have been posted, most notably by Williams’ Lovecraft Country co-star Jurnee Smollett, in which the actress lamented how “the world can continue to spin w/out him here in the physical form,” and that he was supposed to be in Los Angeles for last week’s Emmys. Instead, Kerry Washington took the stage to pay tribute to the late actor.
Washington, acknowledging that Williams’ spirit was present for the 73rd iteration of the Emmy Awards, said that “Michael was—so crazy to say, was—a brilliantly talented actor and a generous human being who has left us far too soon,” and finished with a message directed straight towards the heavens.
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“Michael, your excellence and artistry will endure. We love you.”
As tributes continue to pour in and both fans and peers continue to mourn the loss of someone so talented and revered by those around him, we want to know your favorite Michael K. Williams scenes and moments. Let us know in the comments if Omar from The Wire did something on-screen that you’ll never forget, or if one of Williams’ other characters from Boardwalk Empire, Community or the countless other movies and shows he appeared in, holds a place in your heart.
[Via]