Michael Kenneth Williams, the actor famous for playing Omar Little in The Wire and Albert “Chalky” White in Boardwalk Empire, has just been officially added to the Star Wars standalone Han Solo film.
Williams’ casting was officially confirmed through the official Star Wars homepage, but neither the listing or the announcement states which role he will be playing. Fans have been speculating on his participating for quite some time.
Look out, Chewbacca! Omar comin’!
Normally, the casting of specific big name stars in these new Star Wars movies does not inspire me to see a film since the property itself is the real lure and outshines any actors’ legacy. Choosing a well-known actor like Woody Harrelson could possibly take me out of a film because I recognize him as Larry Flynt or that guy from Kingpin. He’s going to have to turn in the performance of a lifetime to overcome his resume.
Samuel L. Jackson is another very solid example of this.
However, I’ll make an exception to this rule for Williams. I’ve been ho-hum on the Han Solo film until this point, but adding him, a character actor who has achieved fame through exceptional performances and roles, excites me to see how his unique persona fits into a Star Wars film. It’s a new type of motivation for me to see a Star Wars film.
Williams joins fellow actors Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge in the Han Solo standalone film.