Acclaimed actor Michael K. Williams was laid to rest roughly one week after his untimely death. As a local news outlet reported, “The Wire” star’s life and legacy was celebrated on Tuesday (Sept. 14) during a private funeral service in Pennsylvania.
Nearly 150 of Williams’ loved ones, including Queen Latifah, “The Wire” creator David Simon and other cast mates from the 2000s sitcom showed up to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral on North Front Street and Pine Street to pay their last respects to the late star. Mariah Carey and Gabrielle Union — who were unable to attend the service — reportedly sent flowers in their absence.
Per the report, Williams — who was born in Brooklyn, New York — will now rest in Harrisburg, specifically Dauphin County, where his mother, Paula Thompson-Williams, has resided for more than two decades. The actor also frequented the area for appearances at events thrown by local charities and youth programs.
Williams’ nephew discovered the actor’s body in his Brooklyn apartment next to drug paraphernalia on Sept. 6. Though the cause of death has not been announced, authorities are investigating the incident to determine whether the star passed away from an overdose. They are looking for the individual who provided the star with the drugs.
As previously reported by REVOLT, the news of Williams’ death rocked Hollywood, prompting many to honor the actor with social media tributes. Hours after the funeral, “Lovecraft Country” cast mate Jurnee Smollett shared her own heartfelt post about the late actor.
“My brother, my heart hurts so. A part of my brain refuses to accept it … shitty part about grief-it goes in stages. For me, it started w/ denial,” she captioned a photo of her and Williams. “When @jakesmollett called to tell me, my brain went, ‘Hell naw that’s not true, let me call Michael.’ And I called him. I called him over & over until my brain said, ‘Stop, he’s gone.’ I couldn’t breathe. [It’s] taken a while for my brain to metabolize how the world can continue to spin [without] him here in the physical form.”
“He was supposed to be here with us this week in LA for the Emmys,” she said of the actor who is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. “He was supposed to see how big [my son] Hunter is. We were gonna dance, celebrate, cry,” Smollett continued. “Instead, our brother was laid to rest today. I still can’t make sense of it. Perhaps it’s selfish of me to want to hold onto this beautiful man that came into my life & forever changed it.”
See Jurnee Smollett’s tribute below.