In a recent Instagram post, actress Jurnee Smollett paid tribute to the passing of her Lovecraft Country co-star Michael K. Williams. Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire) starred as Montrose Freeman on season 1 of the canceled Lovecraft Country. He was found dead at 54 on September 6th in his Williamsburg, Brooklyn penthouse by his nephew.
Williams played Montrose Freeman on Lovecraft Country, the latest in a string of critically-acclaimed roles he portrayed throughout his career. Williams is perhaps best known for playing Omar on The Wire and Chalky White on Boardwalk Empire, among other fan-favorite characters. Williams was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 2021 Emmys for his work on Lovecraft Country. Williams amassed a large following due to his immense talent, and shortly after his death, several tributes to Williams came pouring in. Now, one of his co-stars shares hers.
On Instagram, Smollett shared a pair of posts honoring Williams. The first is a series of pictures of the late actor, captioned with a long and heartfelt message detailing her feelings on Williams' passing. The second is a video taken from the Lovecraft Country set, where Smollett and Jonathan Majors celebrate Williams' birthday by bringing him a cake and singing to him with other members of the cast. Check out the posts in the space below:
Several others took to the comments to express their condolences, including Smollett's siblings Jazz, Jake, and Jussie, singer John Legend, and Williams' friend and former manager Tracy "Twinkie" Bird. The posts are an illustration of the deep bond and connection Smollett and Williams shared during their time together and the impact Williams had on others in the industry. Some of Williams' performances were groundbreaking and changed television forever. He was a tremendous talent many will continue to mourn. It's clear Smollett truly appreciated her relationship with Williams and will miss him dearly.
The 2021 Emmy awards (presenting on September 19th) will likely be bittersweet for Smollett without Williams in attendance. Along with Williams, Smollett, Majors, and co-star Aunjanue Ellis are all nominated for their performances in Lovecraft Country and will no doubt have Williams in mind. Smollett especially is heavy-hearted, writing in her Instagram post "He was supposed to be here with us this week in LA for the Emmys." Lovecraft Country marks the final televised role by Williams. As is evident by the tribute of Smollett and many others, Williams' performances and presence were very memorable to all who knew him.
Source: Jurnee Smollett/Instagram