Wire actor, Michael K. Williams died inside his luxury Brooklyn penthouse after ingesting fentanyl-laced heroin and cocaine, an autopsy revealed.
The American actor, 54, was found dead at his home in Brooklyn on 6 September. The death was ruled an accident.
The New York Coroner’s office ruled the 54-year-old’s death accidental today, naming the cause as ‘acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.’
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It can cause death when taken in high doses or when combined with other substances.
Williams was discovered unconscious and facedown in the living room of his Williamsburg apartment by his nephew on September 6.
A doorman subsequently called 911 claiming Williams was ‘unresponsive’ and ‘felt cold’. Medics rushed to the scene, but declared the actor dead at 2:12pm.
Over the years, Williams spoke about his struggles with addiction, and described it as a daily struggle.
He told NJ.com during a 2012 interview that he squandered his The Wire earnings on pot and cocaine.
‘I was playing with fire,’ Williams told the outlet. ‘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.’
Michael Kenneth Williams was born in Brooklyn on Nov. 22, 1966. He was raised in the Vanderveer housing projects in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School in the borough.”
He was best known for his role in the hit HBO series The Wire, which ran from 2002 to 2008. However, he also won praise for his role in last year’s drama, Lovecraft Country for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor.