I recently discovered a site that puts names to the faces of character actors who are renound for their countless film cameos playing inanely similar roles.
Going by the recent film appearances of Michael K. Williams (who Guardian readers will no doubt recognise as The Wire’s menacing, homosexual, drug dealer-robbing stick-up man Omar Little), it seems his name soon won’t be out of place alongside these poor type-cast sods.
Since The Wire began to gain notoriety, it seems film many directors have been desperate for a cameo from Williams, but have been casting him in a veritable cornucopia of depressingly predictable roles. He plays a murdering gang member in 2004’s Doing Hard Time, and in 2007’s I Think I Love My Wife it seems he was used to do little more than violently beat up Chris Rock. In addition to this, so far this year, Williams has appeared in two painfully typecast roles. In The Road, he briefly makes an appearance as a ruthless thief, and he plays an abusive, perverted, reformed criminal in Todd Solondz’s forthcoming black comedy Life During Wartime.
It gets worse, however. I’ve just been passed the scripts to some forthcoming blockbusters this year starring Williams and they make for a perturbing read.
Sex and the City 2 – Williams plays a stick-up man at an orgy Carrie finds herself at in tough Brooklyn neighbourhood Brownsville. Williams, who is dressed in a black evening gown, pulls a sawn-off shotgun out of his Balenciaga man-bag. He goes on to seductively frisk Mr Big, cupping his balls and giving him a cheeky wink before casually strolling off into the night with his Rolex, whistling as he goes.
Brighton Rock – In this new Graham Greene adaption, gun-toting, moon boot-wearing man about town Williams sells the famous local “rock” on the corners of Brighton for Colleoni’s gang. He can be seen later on popping pills and letting it all hang out at some of the town’s bluest night spots.
Twilight Saga: Eclipse – Williams plays a vampire who “robs” other vampires of their human catches (choosing only to devour male prey).
Toy Story 3 – Williams is the voice of a large, aggressive voodoo doll who terrifies all of the other toys to the point of total despair – that is until, completely out of the blue, a small human child accidentally murders him with a pellet from a potato gun.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 – Williams plays an oversized Hogwarts bully who turns out Ron Weasley’s pockets for sweets, and writhes in sadistic pleasure at the wrath of Dumbledore’s girthy cane.
Brokeback Mountain 2 – In this sequel, Williams plays the part of a thugged-out gay cowboy who, when not sodomising young sheep farmers, ruthlessly steals cattle from two competing groups of ranchers.
