Tributes to Michael K. Williams began pouring from fans, former co-stars and other celebrities Monday after The Post broke news of the acclaimed actor’s tragic death.
The 54-year-old star, who was best known for his roles on “The Wire ” and “Boardwalk Empire” and was nominated for a 2021 Emmy for his performance in HBO’s “Lovecraft Country,” was found dead of a suspected drug overdose in his Brooklyn penthouse Monday afternoon, law enforcement sources said.
“Shocked and saddened by the death of Michael K Williams,” tweeted actor Isiah Whitlock Jr., who played Maryland State Sen. Clay Davis opposite Williams’ Omar Little in HBO’s “The Wire.”
“One of the nicest brothers on the planet with the biggest heart,” Whitlock continued. “An amazing actor and soul. May you RIP. God bless.”
Tray Chaney, known for his role as drug dealer Poot Carr on the gritty drama, said he was “crushed” by his former co-star’s death.
“RIP to the legend Michael K Williams aka one of the dopest Actors/Brother in the world,” Chaney tweeted, along with a photo of the two.
“I’m off the grid for a while hard to process this one.”
Wendell Pierce, who portrayed Detective Bunk Moreland on “The Wire,” mourned Williams in a touching statement.
“The depth of my love for this brother, can only be matched by the depth of my pain learning of his loss,” Pierce wrote on Twitter. “A immensely talented man with the ability to give voice to the human condition portraying the lives of those whose humanity is seldom elevated until he sings their truth.”
Actress Aisha Tyler remembered the Flatbush native as “a beautiful, passionate, expansive soul.”
“I felt so lucky to have known him, and we were all so fortunate to have enjoyed his incredible talent,” she wrote on Twitter. “He burned so very bright. Rest in power, MKW. You will forever be The King.”
George Takei, of “Star Trek” fame, said the loss of Williams was “heartbreaking.”
“We have lost an enormous talent in Michael K. Williams,” he tweeted.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, said in a statement that “Brooklyn is mourning one of its native sons.”
“Michael K. Williams was a generational talent and a tireless advocate for social justice,” Adams said. “As Omar in The Wire, he once said ‘sometimes who you are is enough.’ Michael was always unabashedly himself — and he will be deeply missed.”
Additional reporting by Jack Morphet