Like his indelible character Omar Little, Michael Kenneth Williams “don’t scare.”
The 45-year-old actor, who taught the world to run with the wolves in HBO’s The Wire, has kept his gangster-dom alive as Chalky White on Boardwalk Empire, and now aims to broaden his scope in entertainment with the release of Snow On Tha Bluff, an independent film he executive-produced about a ravaged Atlanta ghetto. Additionally, he recently announced news he will portray the late rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard on the big screen, marking the first major lead role of his film career.
“I’m game for anything,” Williams told theGrio.“I’m not one of those actors who worries about getting typecast; I don’t plug into that. I enjoy the roles I’ve been called to play…I love Omar. I love Chalky. I’m in love with opportunity of portraying ODB.”
While Wu-Tang Clan’s most sensational affiliate may seem like a break from Williams’ typically brooding characters, the star suggests the real story behind the hip-hop act (born Russell Jones) will come as a surprise to even the most devoted fans of The Wu.
“The irony of it, ODB is right in the vein of what I’m used to doing,” Williams observes. “I thought what I saw was what I got, but that was just one dimension. In actuality, that was a public persona. He had many faces. He was extremely intelligent and there was also a darker side. Drugs were a part of it, but not all of it. He dealt with a lot of different things, business-wise, family-wise. His life at home was nothing like what you saw, and that’s the side I want to explore and show.”
Still in development, the film, titled Dirty White Boy, will chronicle the final years of ODB’s life. To prepare, Williams has been spending time with the rapper’s mother – he calls her “Miss Cherry” – exploring parts of ODB’s existence, including his classic rock and R&B music collections, and his extensive library of books.
Notes Williams, “He liked astrology, a lot of history. He studied a lot of American history, and wanted full working knowledge of who and what he was to the Native American community…I will be reading key books to get the knowledge that shaped the way he spoke to people.”
Williams was also intrigued by ODB’s connection to the Godbody culture, a sect of Islam and black empowerment movement, which seeks freedom of the mind.
“In the larger public eye, he came across as being ‘clownish,’ if you will, but he was a very smart man,” he observes. “If you got to talk to him, you realized he came from a calculated place.”
Though various reports have stated some of ODB’s counterparts in the Wu-Tang Clan were against the idea, Williams insists he wouldn’t have accepted the role without the blessing of ODB’s mother and RZA, the group’s leader. As far as the others are concerned, Williams’ feeling is that, because the movie is not about the group, it would be ideal to have everyone’s support, but beyond his control.
Yet there is one “iconic” scene towards the end of the picture, reliving the group’s last performance as a whole, which he aims to replicate authentically.
“I’m personally hoping they won’t cast any actors in that, barring me of course, and just get all hands on deck to recreate that moment with the original members,” Williams comments. “I haven’t spoken to them. We’ll let the dust settle and see what happens.”
In the meantime, the entertainer’s larger vision will be brought to life in Snow On Tha Bluff, a film released Tuesday on DVD and Netflix, which premiered at Slamdance in 2011, shocking audiences with its graphic mix of actual and dramatized footage of the drug trade in Atlanta.
“It’s really a raw look at what’s going on in our streets and our country,” Williams emphasizes. “These are not actors. The pain you see is real.”
The story follows drug slinger Curtis Snow through the routine of dealing crack and dodging drive-bys while ultimately aiming to improve his circumstances. The conditions are bleak, the images, scaring.
Nevertheless, says Williams, it’s the truth.
“If you think this is not in your community, you’re sadly mistaken,” he explains, addressing scenes depicting women strung out on crack. “If it bothers you, if you think it’s a poor portrayal, then help lift these sisters up. We can’t sit in our comfort zone or the safety of our condos and our gated communities, and feel like it doesn’t affect us…There are people living in Atlanta – a mecca city – like it’s a third world country.”
Williams comes from a poor community in Flatbush, Brooklyn, but forged a prosperous path by committing to the arts. Beginning as a dancer, he picked up moves watching Janet Jackson videos, and later got into acting, with a boost from the late Tupac Shakur.
Auditioning for a role in Shakur’s film, Bullet, Williams’ acting debut came when the rapper happened upon his now famous facial attribute.
“He saw a Polaroid picture of me and noticed the scar,” recalls Williams, referencing the mark on his forehead. “He said I looked “thugged-out enough” to play his little brother.”
Success has since followed Williams’ every move. His current hit series Boardwalk Empire returns to HBO in September for a third season, and, despite its conclusion years ago, fans of The Wire know the show will never, truly, be over.
From a theatrical perspective, Williams says both trademark characters have offered a challenge.
“For Chalky, basically, I went into my family and I pulled together what I could remember of five dead men who were living during [his] time,” the actor remembers. “With Omar, I was able to look at people from my community, and I was able to go into Baltimore and pick-up his texture and his dialect.”
Seemingly, ODB will bring a collaborative unity of sources, and also push Williams to an even higher level as an artist.
Suffice it say, the real life Omar spars with no puppies on his way to greatness.
Follow Courtney Garcia on Twitter at @courtgarcia