Michael K. Williams‘ name has become synonymous with the characters that he’s made his own from the intimidating Omar Little on The Wire to most recently Agent Hawkins in 2016’s version of Ghostbusters.
But another realm of entertainment that Williams sought to dominate was the art of dance. During a sit down with Stephen Colbert on Thursday night (July 14), the veteran actor shared that he used to be a background dancer for Missy Elliott, Crystal Waters, Ginuwine and more.
“I used to boogie back in the day,” he said with a smirk. Shifting gears to discuss one of his most recognizable roles as Omar, Williams stated that all he’s been blessed with after The Wire was made possible from that experience.
“It put me on the radar a little bit. It was my breakout role basically, it definitely changed my life, but on a personal level it kind of grew me up,” he said. “I equate my years with the cast and my time on The Wire as my college years. I learned the business, from financially how to to manage my money better, how to ride a character out for a period of time… Omar got these five years to build.”
Although it was a moment that would influence Williams’ career ascension, he shared that once his character of Omar was no longer a part of the show, it was hard for him to step out of his shotgun-toting shoes.
“You have seven out of 10 people calling you Omar, all of this admiration…The lines of reality got blurred for me,” Williams stated.
Watch the full interview below, and catch Williams on his new VICELAND show, Black Market, Tuesdays at 10 p.m.
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