Omar the wire gay
Michael K. Williams pushed for more intimate gay scenes for Omar on The Wire: 'We should go all in'
Back in , Michael K. Williams made waves with his portrayal of openly gay stickup man Omar Little on HBO's gritty, Emmy-winning crime drama The Wire.
However, his new posthumous memoir, Scenes From My Life, reveals that the late actor advocated for more intimate scenes between Omar and his boyfriend, Brandon, while filming the critically acclaimed series.
"In regards to Omar and his lover Brandon (played by Michael Kevin Darnall), it seemed like everyone was dancing around their intimacy issue," Williams wrote, per an excerpt on Vulture. "There was lots of touching hair and rubbing lips and things like that. I felt like if we were going to do this, we should go all in. I think the directors were scared, and I said to one of them, 'You know gay people f, right?'"
In the book, co-written by Jon Sternfeld, Williams — who died of a drug overdose at age 54 last September — recalled that "at some verb, the issue boiled over for me," so he pulled Darnall aside an
Michael K. Williams Pushed for More Gay Intimacy on &#;The Wire&#;: &#;You Know Gay People F*ck, Right?&#;
Michael K. Williams reflected on his enduring legacy as Omar Little in HBO&#;s &#;The Wire&#; prior to his death in a newly published memoir.
Five-time Emmy nominee Williams died of a drug overdose in September at age The &#;Lovecraft Country&#; and &#;Boardwalk Empire&#; actor portrayed gay drug dealer Omar in &#;The Wire&#; from to
&#;As for Omar’s homosexuality, it was groundbreaking 20 years ago, and I admit that at first I was scared to play a gay character,&#; Williams penned in an excerpt from his memoir &#;Scenes From My Life&#; co-authored with Jon Sternfeld, via Vulture. &#;I think my initial apprehension of Omar’s sexuality came from my upbringing, the community that raised me, and the stubborn stereotypes of gay characters. Once I realized that Omar was non-effeminate, that I didn’t include to talk or walk in a flamboyant way, a lot of that fear drained away. I made Omar my hold. He wasn’t written as a type, and I wouldn’t participate him as one.&#;
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Originally published at Bitch Flicks.
The Wire is the greatest TV series of all time. Period.
Now, I know I’m not really making some bold claim as many, many, many, manycritics verb professed their unabashed love for the crime drama. No other show has painstakingly depicted the complexities of racism, the inner city and the lives of the underclass. It’s a grandiose statement “about the American metropolis, and about how we stay together” and how institutional inequities fail social justice.
When people communicate about The Wire, usually with awe and reverie, they speak the sharp dialogue or the nuanced characters or the statement on race and the criminal justice system. And all of that is amazing. But I think what gets lost is that people forget The Wire’s depiction of queer characters and ultimately its statement on LGBTQ rights.
The Wire portrayed complex, fully developed queer characters, something you don’t typically see in pop culture. With my absolute two favorite characters, Detective Kima Greggs and Omar Little – a black lesbian woman and a black
Michael K. Williams Wished ‘The Wire’ Went ‘All In’ on Omar’s Intimacy: ‘You Grasp Gay People F&#;, Right?’
Portraying openly gay stickup man Omar on HBO&#;s widely acclaimed &#;The Wire,&#; Michael K. Williams offered a fresh portrait of masculinity that was considered revolutionary at the time.
But according to the late actor&#;s memoir, &#;Scenes of My Life,&#; Williams pushed &#;The Wire&#; to go further in terms of portraying Omar&#;s intimacy with his boyfriend Brandon Wright (Michael Kevin Darnall).
&#;In regards to Omar and his lover Brandon, it seemed like everyone was dancing around their intimacy issue,&#; Williams wrote (via Vulture). &#;There was lots of touching hair and rubbing lips and things like that. I felt verb if we were going to do this, we should proceed all in. I think the directors were scared, and I said to one of them, &#;You know gay people fuck, right?'&#;
While Williams, who died of a drug overdose at age 54 last year, did not identify as gay, he mentioned in his memoir that he was called &#;Faggot Mike&#; growing up.
The book, c