Michael Kenneth Williams stars as Chalky White in the first, second, third and fourth seasons. He won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Omar Little in the HBO series The Wire and also appeared in the big screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road.
Biography[]
Williams was born in Brooklyn, New York. After getting in some trouble as a youth he enrolled at the National Black Theatre in New York City. He later got a job at a pharmaceutical company. Inspired by Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, he left school and quit his job against the wishes of his family to pursue a career as a dancer. During a year in which he was intermittently homeless, Williams "pounded the pavement," visiting record labels and dance studios looking for work. He eventually got a job as a background dancer on a music tour, which led to more work appearing as a dancer in videos and on tours, as well as some modeling work.
Williams is well known for his large facial scar, which he received after a confrontation between his friends and another group in Brooklyn on his 25th birthday. His assailants sliced him with razor blades. He eventually embraced the scar, citing Seal’s marred face as an inspiration. His scar became his signature and earned him photo shoots with noted photographers like David LaChapelle.
In 1999 Williams had a role in the Martin Scorsese film Bringing Out the Dead. From 2002-08, Williams played the role of “Omar Little” in HBO’s series The Wire. In 2003 he played Ray Ray in The Sopranos third season episode "Army of One". The episode was co-written by Boardwalk Empire co-executive producer Lawrence Konner. Boardwalk Empire show runner Terence Winter was a producer on The Sopranos when Williams appeared in the show.
Credits[]
Star
| Season 3 credits | |||
| "Resolution" * | "Spaghetti and Coffee" | "Bone for Tuna" * | "Blue Bell Boy" * |
| "You'd Be Surprised" | "Ging Gang Goolie" | "Sunday Best" | "The Pony" |
| "The Milkmaid's Lot" | "A Man, A Plan..." | "Two Imposters" | "Margate Sands" |
| Season four credits | |||
| "New York Sour" | "Resignation" | "Acres of Diamonds" | "All In" |
| "Erlkonig" | "The North Star" | "William Wilson" | "The Old Ship of Zion" |
| "Marriage and Hunting" | "White Horse Pike" | "Havre De Grace" | "Farewell Daddy Blues" |
* - credit only, did not appear.