Michael Kenneth Williams’ jump from Omar on ‘The Wire’ to ‘Boardwalk Empire’
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Michael Kenneth Williams broke out as one of TV’s most noteworthy and charismatic antiheroes with his portrayal of the shotgun-toting gangster Omar Little on HBO’s ‘The Wire.’
Now he’s taken on another dark character -- ruthless businessman Chalky White on ‘Boardwalk Empire,’ just finishing its first season on HBO.
Williams loves embracing the dark side on screen, saying years of struggle have helped him connect with his fictional personas.
‘The most challenging thing right now for me is showing that there’s a difference between Omar and Chalky,’ he says. ‘There’s no Omar in Chalky. They are driven by different things, different moral codes. Omar was driven by the hunt, while Chalky is a straight-up-and-down businessman.’
For more on White, check out this interview with him.