The very conspicuous scar started at the top of Williams’ forehead, went across his nose and stopped near his mouth. In other situations, it might have destroyed his career. But Williams explained that music video directors wanted him to play the criminal or antagonist because he had the look of a streetwise gangster.
Then Tupac Shakur wanted Williams to be cast as his little brother in the movie Bullet. “Tupac happened to see a Polaroid picture of me and was like, ‘Yo, this dude looks thugged out enough that he could play my little brother,’ ” Williams told the station.
That ignited Williams’ career as he was subsequently picked for high-profile roles in NBC’s “Law & Order” and HBO’s “The Sopranos.”
Those experiences prepared Williams for the unforgettable and iconic role of the gun-toting “Omar Little” on HBO’s “The Wire.”
“I got to grow with an amazing group of people that I consider my ‘Wire’ family,” Williams said. “That character changed my life. And that was my big break.”
