The activist and grandson of the Hollywood legend tails his first gay sexual experience his new memoir, A Tale of Two Omars. Read an exclive excerpt here.
Contents:
- MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS PHED FOR MORE GAY INTIMACY ON ‘THE WIRE’: ‘YOU KNOW GAY PEOPLE F*CK, RIGHT?’
- MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS FOUGHT FOR TTH OF GAY CHARACTER OMAR THE WIRE
- THE WIRE’S MICHAEL K WILLIAMS OPENED UP ABOUT BEG ‘SRED TO PLAY GAY CHARACTER’ BEFORE HIS ATH
- HOW A GAY COUPLE ON A NETFLIX SHOW STOLE MY HEART
- RE-WATCHG OMAR: MOHA, BLACK GAYNS AND SHIFTG MEDIA RECEPTN ALED L. MART, JR. / UNIVERSY OF IOWA
- HOW THE WIRE’S OMAR LTLE CHALLENGED GAY STEREOTYP MEDIA
- WAS OMAR GAY ON THE WIRE | EVERYTHG YOU NEED TO KNOW
- FIRST PERSON: HOW THIS GAY LATO THERAPIST RELAT TO HIS LGBTQ+ CLIENTS THROUGH HUMOR
MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS PHED FOR MORE GAY INTIMACY ON ‘THE WIRE’: ‘YOU KNOW GAY PEOPLE F*CK, RIGHT?’
In his new memoir, the Emmy nomee and "Wire" star Michael K. Williams addrsed the portrayal of his gay character Omar. * gay omar *
But, of urse, that’s only part of Williams’ Simon, creator of the show, once told me that whenever someone asked him why he ma Omar gay, he would rpond: Why did we make the other 19 characters straight? It’s a brilliant unterpot, one that nonts whout antagonizg, while touchg on the theme of the first LGBTQ equaly march on Washgton, back 1979: We are clus the ‘ jt didn’t talk about for people to accept the premise that the most feared man one of Baltimore’s most dangero neighborhoods was openly gay, the actor portrayg him had to first breathe life to an asphyxiated versn of Black masculy. Said was “as gay as was Black, not that was exclively eher.
It took somethg like Hugh’ poem “Mother to Son” and assumed the le “life for me a’t been no crystal stair” was solely about the impact of racism and not homophobia or a batn of the ’s what ma Williams’ work on the show as transformative as was brgg the character of Omar to life, Williams rurrected aspects of Black queerns that had largely gone missg Black artistry outsi of theater and edians such as Mart Lawrence and Jamie Foxx dog drag on TV. Betiful boyiends who would appear naked bed wh him, makg impossible for viewers not to see his sexualy as part of his Omar on a h show, beg an out and proud gay Black man livg the Black muny, was on par wh seeg Will hang out wh Grace their all-whe one — an experience that Joe Bin once said ntributed to changg attus toward gay people.
The “Lovecraft Country” and “Boardwalk Empire” actor portrayed gay dg aler Omar “The Wire” om 2002 to 2008.
MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS FOUGHT FOR TTH OF GAY CHARACTER OMAR THE WIRE
"You know gay people f*ck, right?'" Williams told a director, acrdg to his memoir that was published posthumoly last week. * gay omar *
“As for Omar’s homosexualy, was groundbreakg 20 years ago, and I adm that at first I was sred to play a gay character, ” Williams penned an excerpt om his memoir “Scen From My Life” -thored wh Jon Sternfeld, via Vulture.
THE WIRE’S MICHAEL K WILLIAMS OPENED UP ABOUT BEG ‘SRED TO PLAY GAY CHARACTER’ BEFORE HIS ATH
Michael K Williams won acclaim for his portrayal of gay character Omar Ltle The Wire, but he wasn't always fortable wh the ia. * gay omar *
“I thk my ial fear of Omar’s sexualy me om my upbrgg, the muny that raised me, and the stubborn stereotyp of gay characters. Sce Omar was the “oppose of the stereotypil hood typ, ” Williams phed “The Wire” productn to showse all facets of Omar’s life onscreen, cludg his gay relatnships. I thk the directors were sred, and I said to one of them, ‘You know gay people fuck, right?
Williams, who played gay dg aler Omar Ltle on the acclaimed HBO seri The Wire, fought for a full portrayal of Omar's sexualy and relatnships the seri, a new memoir reveals. I thk the directors were sred, and I said to one of them, 'You know gay people f*ck, right?
"I thk he was anx to get before one of changed our mds, " Williams memoir also reveals that Williams had some trepidatn about playg a gay character.
HOW A GAY COUPLE ON A NETFLIX SHOW STOLE MY HEART
* gay omar *
"As for Omar's homosexualy, was groundbreakg 20 years ago, and I adm that at first I was sred to play a gay character, " he wr.
RE-WATCHG OMAR: MOHA, BLACK GAYNS AND SHIFTG MEDIA RECEPTN ALED L. MART, JR. / UNIVERSY OF IOWA
“Omar was the clost thg TV had to a gay superhero” * gay omar *
"I thk my ial fear of Omar's sexualy me om my upbrgg, the muny that raised me, and the stubborn stereotyp of gay characters, " explas Williams, rellg that he was lled "Faggot Mike" while growg up. The late, great actor, Michael K Williams, may have won cril acclaim for his portrayal of gay character Omar Ltle The Wire but he wasn’t always fortable wh the ia of playg a homosexual. Wrg his memoir Scen From My Life before his tragic ath last year at age 54, Williams revealed that he was ially fearful of takg on the role of Omar due to the stereotypil nature of most gay characters at the time.
“As for Omar’s homosexualy, was groundbreakg 20 years ago, and I adm that at first I was sred to play a gay character, ” Williams wrote. Omar’s sexualy provid important reprentatn the early 2000s – particularly for Black gay men – nsirg LGBTQ+ rights across both sis of the pond sill lagged woefully behd.
For many LGBTQ+ fans, felt like one of the first stanc of a gay character havg an entire personaly asi om who they sleep wh. Williams’ portrayal of Omar The Wire was a tour force, and his was one of the first unapologetilly gay, Black characters I saw picted on Power, Kg.
HOW THE WIRE’S OMAR LTLE CHALLENGED GAY STEREOTYP MEDIA
An adult gay black man who didn't have a shred of secury and was totally fortable his own sk and was also the olt and most feared outlaw character the entire show. Rellg the moment he told his mother that he would be playg a gay man, Williams wrote: “I remember helpg my mother rry groceri to her apartment and tellg her about this new role that I booked.
He’s openly gay.
Williams’ memoir also reveals how, spe beg aware that there was a lot more to Omar as a character than him beg gay, the actor fought for the portrayal to explicly reference his sexualy. Wh full knowledge of his homosexualy, the streets nohels feared and rpected him. Before his untimely ath, Williams was the favore to w an Emmy for his portrayal of Montrose Freeman, a closeted gay father, the Black science fictn masterpiece “Lovecraft Country” (which has sce been nceled).
WAS OMAR GAY ON THE WIRE | EVERYTHG YOU NEED TO KNOW
They n see Omar Ltle and know that beg Black and gay and dark-skned and artistic is betiful, somethg to be embraced and celebrated – not jt after the whole world fds value your life, but long before.
This op-ed has been rrected to reflect that, as the New York Tim reported 2017, Williams did not intify as gay.
FIRST PERSON: HOW THIS GAY LATO THERAPIST RELAT TO HIS LGBTQ+ CLIENTS THROUGH HUMOR
T: The New York Tim Style Magaze featur a new terview between two gay Mexin Amerin stars — sger Omar Apollo and fashn signer Willy Chavarria — and , the two get personal about beg closeted high school and what took them to e out.