"The Wire" breakout star Michael K. Williams has recently opened up about the drug abuse he developed while on the acclaimed HBO drama. Williams told The New Jersey Star Ledger that after becoming an addict in 2004, he would go on day-long drug binges, taking excessive amounts of cocaine and marijuana.
"I was playing with fire," Williams reportedly said. "It was just a matter of time before I got caught and my business ended up on the cover of a tabloid or I went to jail or, worse, I ended up dead. When I look back on it now, I don't know how I didn't end up in a body bag."
Best known for his portrayal of the volatile stick-up kid Omar Little on the series, William points to his role as Little as one of the influencers behind his battle with drugs. "In the end, I was more comfortable with Omar's skin than my own," Little told NJ Star Ledger. "That was a problem… I had to stop trying to be Omar and just be Mike."
Claiming to have kicked his drug habit for good, the actor now stars as Chalky White on the HBO prohibition-era drama "Boardwalk Empire."
