Omar comin': 'Community' casts Michael Kenneth Williams
'The Wire'/'Boardwalk Empire' co-star to play the group's new professor
"The Wire" alum Michael Kenneth Williams will play the study group's new professor on "Community."
"Community" has found its new teacher, and I can describe the casting in two words:
Omar comin'.
Michael Kenneth Williams, beloved by "The Wire" fans for his work as larger-than-life stick-up man Omar Little - and also by "Boardwalk Empire" fans for his current role as non-bookcase-building Chalky White - has agreed to appear in at least three episodes of "Community" season 3.
Each season on "Community," the study group all takes one class together. In season 1, it was Spanish, with Ken Jeong's Senor Chang as the instructor. Last season, they took Anthropology, with John Oliver's Professor Duncan taking over after Betty White got suspended at the end of the premiere. Now it's Williams' turn, and he'll be playing an ex-con who teaches the study group's Biology class.
When "Community" got shut out of Emmy nominations for the second year in a row, I joked that it was now "The Wire" of sitcoms, and that Dan Harmon's best way to make this point clear would be to do a season-long story arc about the pointlessness of awards, akin to the newspaper storyline from "The Wire" season 5. Instead, the show has found a different, potentially more awesome, way to make the link.
I'll have a report from the "Community" Comic-Con panel later today, and I did a couple of hilarious group interviews with the cast that we hope to post in the next few days. In the meantime, enjoy a bit of vintage Omar goodness while you wait for the season premiere in September:
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All through his childhood, Alan Sepinwall's relatives told his parents, "All that boy does is watch television! How's he going to make a living doing that?" His career as a TV critic has been 15 years and counting of his attempt to answer their concerns. "What's Alan Watching" is a blog whose title is self-explanatory: Alan watches TV shows, then writes about what he watched. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
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Login or create a HitFix account Login Signupjordan_hirsh
July 23, 2011 at 11:32AM EST Reply to CommentTHIS IS SO AWESOME!!!!
klg19
July 23, 2011 at 11:35AM EST Reply to CommentI think my brain just exploded.
Jon88 Ditto.
July 23, 2011 at 11:46AM ESTtossit
July 23, 2011 at 11:38AM EST Reply to CommentThis is incredible. That man has an amazing screen presence. He should be great in community
downbound
July 23, 2011 at 11:39AM EST Reply to CommentAfter seeing his take on bookcases, I'd be hesitant to ask for his opinion on office hours.
Omar Omar don't scare...
July 23, 2011 at 12:23PM EST...when it comes to office hours.
July 23, 2011 at 11:43AM EST Reply to CommentAmazing. Omar comin y'all
velocityknown
July 23, 2011 at 11:49AM EST Reply to CommentMY WHOLE BRAIN IS CRYING!
citizenmilton
July 23, 2011 at 11:51AM EST Reply to CommentFantastic! Can't wait. Brilliant casting.
Hodor
July 23, 2011 at 11:53AM EST Reply to CommentA shame they aren't taking woodworking, I'm sure he could teach them how to make a bookcase.
Chuck
July 23, 2011 at 11:56AM EST Reply to CommentAll in the game, yo.
Ross Oh, indeed.
July 23, 2011 at 1:31PM ESTZach L
July 23, 2011 at 11:58AM EST Reply to CommentOh this is a thing of beauty. Please have him debut on the show with Troy and Abed wondering who the new professor is, only to hear someone whistle "Pop Goes the Weasel"
Jared K You mean "The Farmer in the Dell", right? ;)
July 23, 2011 at 2:09PM ESTMaryD Jared, the tune is also known as 'Ahunting We Will Go," which seems appropriate for Omar...
July 25, 2011 at 3:43PM ESTTD @MaryD, Zach L, Jared K- the song is AKA "The Cheese Stands Alone"
July 26, 2011 at 11:36AM ESTRP
July 23, 2011 at 12:03PM EST Reply to CommentAmazing.
Razorback
July 23, 2011 at 12:08PM EST Reply to CommentDude played arguably the best villainous hero in TV history... I look forward to seeing him in action on COMMUNITY.
nanaslugdiva You know, I didn't consider Omar a villain. It seemed to me that the "villains" were Barksdale's crew. Omar had a paricular moral code. He was like Robin Hood - he robbed the dealers.
July 23, 2011 at 2:17PM ESTGeorge I think that Razorback meant by "villainous hero" is that Omar is one the most intriguing "Anti-heroes". We could say Omar only hurt Drug Dealers. Like all other Anti-heroes there web eventually reaches everybody.
July 23, 2011 at 4:01PM ESTChrissy
July 23, 2011 at 1:06PM EST Reply to CommentAmazing...but tricky. Cannot wait to se how they play it.
Narrim
July 23, 2011 at 1:51PM EST Reply to CommentMy mind just exploded.
Jared K
July 23, 2011 at 2:07PM EST Reply to CommentFantastic, under-appreciated actor, fantastic, under-appreciated show. Makes entirely too much sense. Casting directors and showrunners, take notes.
Needless to say, this Biology major approves.
Linh
July 23, 2011 at 2:08PM EST Reply to CommentTHIS IS SO FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!! wish he would appear on parks and rec too!
anthony_c_reyes
July 23, 2011 at 2:59PM EST Reply to Commentthey can't possibly do a WIRE spidoe, can they?
Svetlanamonsoon
July 23, 2011 at 3:00PM EST Reply to CommentAwesome. But I hope we still get some Duncan/John Oliver here and there.
July 23, 2011 at 6:27PM EST Reply to CommentHow much more awesome can Community get?
July 23, 2011 at 6:34PM EST Reply to CommentHow much mire awesome can Community get?!
echos myron
July 23, 2011 at 7:24PM EST Reply to CommentCommunity is awful, and this guy has sucked in every role that wasn`t Omar.
paullu
July 23, 2011 at 7:33PM EST Reply to CommentAll I know is if they cast the king, they best not miss.
greg sheikman
July 23, 2011 at 10:19PM EST Reply to Commenthe was pretty cool but that show the wire sucked. it was stupid. hopefully this is better. my favorite shows are two and a half men,glee, shit my dad says, and entourage. we need more shows like that and less crap like mad men, breaking bad, and louie. i've never seen community but i doubt its as good as outsourced. i was pissed when parks and rec came back
willy In deference to Alan's rules, I'll just note your opinion and also remark that your view on The Wire is a very very small and misguided one...I dare you to go on the AV club and say that though...
July 24, 2011 at 12:02AM ESTOmagus This was sarcasm. I mean, it has to be...right?
July 24, 2011 at 12:20AM EST
July 24, 2011 at 2:09AM ESTLinda Hamilton Redux
July 24, 2011 at 12:11AM EST Reply to CommentThis would have been a very nice surprise. Too bad someone had to put the news right in the headline, making it impossible to avoid for anyone who would like to have done so.
Haik Mendelovich
July 24, 2011 at 11:22AM EST Reply to CommentI like the cast add, but Harmon stated that Williams will add "groundednÂess and reality" to the show. Groundedness and reality? On Community?
My fave episodes are the ones least grounded and real.
I hope that the creators are not gonna dumb this show down in a bid for better ratings. Better to be a comet like Arrested DevelopmenÂt than a black hole like 2.5 Men...
Bo
July 24, 2011 at 4:22PM EST Reply to CommentHow does Community get no Emmy love? It's the funniest show on television, outside maybe Louie.
Can't wait to see this.
HeavyRaines17
July 25, 2011 at 5:24PM EST Reply to CommentI hope his first line is: "OMAR comin', y'all. That's Orientation Mandated by Administrative Resources."
And I'd like to see MKW "socially promote" Jeff after it is found out that he actually failed his Anthropology class.
YNC
July 28, 2011 at 5:52PM EST Reply to CommentThank you for my 'Omar' Wire fix. xoxo
Froggage
August 25, 2011 at 10:39PM EST Reply to CommentTo confirm: you're saying that my favorite honorable, romantic thug (second only to Errol Flynn's Robin Hood) and definitely-non-bookcase-making bootlegger is about to show up on my favorite ensemble comedy, and I'm supposed to wait calmly for the fall season of "Community"?!