6 Famous Celebrities and Their Scars
He continued: “But this one dude kept pacing behind me. He kept walking behind me. He kept like, you know, like sucking his teeth. And I’m looking, I’m like, ‘Yo — so what’s up, dude? Yo, bro, what’s your problem?'”
The Story Behind Michael K. Williams’ Face Scar — and How It Helped Launch His Career
Michael K. Williams made a habit of seeing the silver lining.
The late Wire actor, who died in 2021 at age 54, previously opened up about how he got the distinctive scar on his face during a “barroom brawl” — and how he believed the altercation ultimately launched his Hollywood career.
“On my birthday — my 25th birthday — I got cut in my face in a barroom brawl,” he told NPR in June 2014. “There was a popping party going on in Queens. I went outside to get some air, and I saw that two of my other friends were being surrounded by some dudes who I didn’t know. And it looked like they were about to get jumped. And I said, ‘Yo, I’m ready to leave. Let’s go back. I’m going to go back home now.'”
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He continued: “But this one dude kept pacing behind me. He kept walking behind me. He kept like, you know, like sucking his teeth. And I’m looking, I’m like, ‘Yo — so what’s up, dude? Yo, bro, what’s your problem?'”
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Williams said he thought the man was preparing to “smack” him, but he’d actually procured a razor blade.
“He was positioning the razor in his mouth to get between his middle finger and his ring finger, and then he just … swiped me down my face, and this cut my face. It was actually the first hit of the fight,” he said. “So we managed to escape with our lives, barely, that night. Things changed immediately after that.”
From there, Williams said the scar that formed on his face led to him being considered for more “thug roles,” beginning with his breakout part in the 1996 movie Bullet alongside late rapper Tupac Shakur.
“Tupac Shakur was filming a movie in New York called Bullet, opposite Mickey Rourke,” he recalled on NPR. “And the production office that they were working out of in New York happened to have a Polaroid picture of me, from me going to audition from some various music videos. So he happened to see a Polaroid picture of me and was like, ‘Yo, this dude looks thugged out enough that he could play my little brother.’ I think he saw my pain and my struggle, my heart. I was just like — I was starstruck, you know? I was like, ‘Wow, that’s Tupac Shakur.'”
Michael K. Williams in The Wire. HBO
Years prior, in a 2011 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Williams explained why he “opted out” of retaliating after the fight that night.
“I knew that I did not want blood on my hands,” he said. “And I honestly believe that because I let it go, I didn’t harbor any ill feelings. I didn’t react in a negative way in revenge; I believe that something happened inside, spiritually. It’s why people look at this and see a thing of beauty. Had I taken the other route, I think it would have made me ugly — from the inside.”
He later added, “I’m very, very fortunate.”
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Williams was found dead on Sept. 6, 2021, at around 2 p.m. in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment, an NYPD source told PEOPLE. His nephew, Dominic Dupont, discovered his body in the living room.
“It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy-nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams,” a rep for Williams told PEOPLE. “They ask for your privacy while grieving this unsurmountable loss.”
Williams was laid to rest in a private funeral held in Harrisburg, Pa., on Sept. 15, 2021. A week later, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner declared Williams’ cause of death was “acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine.”
In February 2022, four men were arrested in connection with the actor’s death, including Irvin Cartagena, Hector Robles, Luis Cruz, and Carlos Macci. Cartagena pleaded guilty in April 2023 to selling Williams the fatal drugs that resulted in his death. The men were part of the drug-trafficking organization DTO, operating in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Macci pleaded guilty to narcotics conspiracy in April 2023 and will be sentenced in July, per The New York Times. The news outlet also reported that Robles and Cruz have pleaded not guilty.
Throughout his career, Williams opened up about his addiction and mental health struggles.
“Addiction doesn’t go away,” he told The New York Times in 2017. “It’s an everyday struggle for me, but I’m fighting.”
In addition to The Wire, Williams was known for his appearances on Law and Order, Boardwalk Empire, Hap and Leonard, When They See Us and Lovecraft Country, the last of which earned him his fifth Emmy nomination in 2021 for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series. He also had roles in films like Gone Baby Gone (2007), The Incredible Hulk (2008), 12 Years a Slave (2013), The Purge: Anarchy (2014), Inherent Vice (2014) and Ghostbusters (2016).
Williams’ posthumous memoir, Scenes from My Life, was released in August 2022, detailing his storied career and the incident that left him with the distinctive scar down the center of his face.
“I guess the scar gave me an edge,” wrote Williams. “It made me look like the tough guy I wasn’t.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
6 Famous Celebrities and Their Scars
Time may heal all wounds, but for scars, it’s the opposite. Whenever the skin is injured, the body’s natural healing response goes into overdrive, working hard to produce extra collagen, which “fills in” and repairs the injured tissue. Scars can develop due to any number of reasons, but they affect almost everyone at some point in our lives.
In fact, you may be surprised to learn how many so-called “perfect” celebrities have scars, though this isn’t too surprising when you stop to consider that scars and beauty aren’t mutually exclusive. Thanks to exciting innovations in the field of Dermatology, however, scar management is better than it’s ever been before. At Kitagawa Dermatology, Dr. Kory Kitagawa offers various treatments to reduce the appearance of unwanted scars, including laser skin resurfacing, laser light therapies, and even soft tissue fillers like Restylane.
That being said, there are some celebrities who not only live with their scars but embrace them. Below you’ll find a list of celebrities who don’t let their scars define who they are or what they do.
1. Michael K. Williams
Michael K. Williams of “The Wire” (as Omar Little) and “Boardwalk Empire” (as Chalky White) fame earned his scar the old-fashioned way: by getting slashed across the face with a razor in a bar fight on his 25th birthday. The scar catapulted him from being a struggling dancer to being cast as iconic characters in movies and television shows.
2. Tina Fey
Brilliant comedian and writer Tina Fey was attacked by a stranger when she just was five years old, playing in the front yard of her suburban home. The little girl thought the person had drawn on her cheek … but the “drawing” was done with a blade. Though she was traumatized at the time, she confidently moved on with her life. She says she usually doesn’t even think about the scar until a cameraman points it out. And honestly, did you ever notice it either?
3. Padma Lakshmi
Celebrity cook, author, and model Padma Lakshmi of “Celebrity Chef” was in a car accident at age 14 that left her with a 7-inch scar on her forearm. She says the scar reminds her that she’s a survivor with an interesting past. She’s so untroubled by the scar that she happily posed nude for a photo shoot in “Allure” magazine.
4. Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford — the original Han Solo in “Star Wars” and also the original Indiana Jones — was given a great backstory for his craggy scar in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Indiana got the scar while he was practicing with his whip. The real story is more mundane: young Harrison started driving before buckling up, was fumbling around for his seatbelt, and rammed into a telephone pole.
5. Catherine Zeta-Jones
Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones of “Feud” (as Olivia De Havilland) “The Mask of Zorro” (as Elana) has a scar on her neck that she won’t let make-up artists cover. Why not? That scar saved her life. It marks the spot where doctors performed a tracheotomy on her when she was a child. Good work, docs!
6. Danny Trejo
In the case of character actor Danny Trejo (“Machete”), his entire face is riddled with scars, from acne pock marks to dents left by other boxers’ fists. Once he made it onto a film set, those scars became his bread and butter. His IMDB page sports 538 appearances in films and movies, with about 20 projects for 2018 alone.
Expert Scar Treatment in Hawaii
If you’re not a celebrity, you don’t have to flaunt, celebrate, or even live with your scars. Dr. Kory Kitagawa of Kitagawa Dermatology uses a combination of laser and other dermatologic therapies to improve the appearance of scars. Every scar is unique and has its own story, which is why Dr. Kitagawa works with you on an individual basis to design a scar-improvement strategy that helps you feel like a star again.
We’re located at the Kuakini Medical Plaza, 321 N. Kuakini St, #610, in Honolulu. You can call our helpful office staff or contact us online.
