Michael K. Williams was remembered by Surrounded co-star Letitia Wright and director Anthony Mandler.
Williams was a well-known actor who became best known for his role as Omar Little on the HBO TV series The Wire. In September 2021, Williams died of a drug overdose in Brooklyn, NY. His final film role is in the new Western drama movie Surrounded, where he plays Will Clay.
In an exclusive interview with actress Letitia Wright (Black Panther, Death on the Nile), she commented on working with Williams. “He’s a great artist — really dedicated,” Wright told ComingSoon. “We had already established that vibe with myself and Jamie, just working hard. Then he came on set and just linked up with us, fit right in. I just got to learn so much from him in-between those moments of being on set. Laughing, joking, sharing great memories with each other — I shared my first Thanksgiving with him as well. We all had Thanksgiving at my place in New Mexico. So just beautiful fond memories of him and yeah … really, really wish he was here with us, man.”
Director Anthony Mandler also reflected on his time working with Williams. “Michael was a dear friend of mine and someone that I loved and admired as a human being and as an artist. It’s really my honor to bring this movie to the screen. It’ll be his last performance we’ll see. Michael brought a depth and an energy to everything he did. The way he embodied characters was the way that he essentially managed his own pain and stress and trauma. So in a sense, there was this tension of relationship when it comes to love and trust, violence and peace. What I love about this character is how he comes in from out of the night and he’s absolutely the character that she should trust the most.”
When is the Surrounded movie release date?
Surrounded releases on June 20, 2023, on digital, by MGM.
“Five years after the Civil War, freedwoman and former Buffalo Soldier Moses ‘Mo’ Washington travels west to lay claim to a gold mine disguised as a man after her stagecoach is ambushed by a group of murderous thieves,” reads the official synopsis. “Mo is forced to hold legendary outlaw Tommy Walsh captive while the remaining surviving passengers seek out help.”