NEW YORK -
Actor Michael K. Williams died of acute drug intoxication in what New York City's medical examiner said Friday was an accidental death.
Williams, known for playing Omar Little on 鈥淭he Wire鈥 and an Emmy Award nominee this year, had fentanyl, parafluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine in his system when he died Sept. 6 in Brooklyn.
Williams, 54, was found dead by family members in his penthouse apartment. Police said at the time that they suspected a drug overdose.
The city's Office of Chief Medical Examiner said it would not comment further. A message seeking comment was left with Williams' representative.
Williams had spoken frankly in interviews in recent years about his struggle with drug addiction, which he said persisted after he gained fame on 鈥淭he Wire鈥 in the early 2000s.
鈥淚 was playing with fire,鈥 he told the Newark Star-Ledger in 2012. 鈥淚t 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.鈥
New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said in an interview shortly after Williams' death that he had spoken with the actor earlier this year about collaborating with the department on community outreach.
Williams had been working with a New Jersey charity to smooth the journey for former prison inmates seeking to reenter society, and was working on a documentary on the subject. Another project involved reaching out directly to at-risk youth.
鈥淭his Hollywood thing that you see me in, I'm passing through,鈥 Williams told the Associated Press last year. 鈥淏ecause I believe this is where my passion, my purpose is supposed to be.鈥
Omar, a rogue robber of drug dealers based on real figures from Baltimore, was hugely popular among fans of 鈥淭he Wire,鈥 which ran on HBO from 2002 to 2008.
Williams also starred as Chalky White in HBO's 鈥淏oardwalk Empire鈥 from 2010 to 2014 and had roles in the films 鈥12 Years a Slave鈥 and 鈥淎ssassin's Creed.鈥
Williams was nominated this year for an Emmy for supporting actor in a drama series for HBO's 鈥淟ovecraft Country,鈥 but lost Sunday to a star of 鈥淭he Crown.鈥
Williams was remembered in the ceremony's 鈥淚n Memoriam鈥 segment.