Michael Kenneth Williams

Though he received his start in entertainment as a dancer and music video performer, actor Michael K. Williams established himself as a bona fide talent with his breakthrough performance as Omar Little, the openly-gay stick-up artist who roams the streets of Baltimore robbing drug dealers and selling the pilfered wares to other pushers on the critically acclaimed series, "The Wire" (HBO, 2001-08). Though originally slated to be on the show for seven episodes - the writers said they wanted to kill off Omar in season one - Williams instilled his character with a magnetic charm and sense of humor that elevated him beyond anything the creators envisioned. Prior to his star turn on "The Wire," Williams was seen in supporting parts on television and in film, mostly as street thugs and drug dealers; roles he got, thanks in part, to a long facial scar received in a bar fight. But nothing compared to his stint on "The Wire."