While reflecting on his acting process, Emmy-nominated actor Michael K. Williams shared with SalonTV how playing Omar on HBO's "The Wire," which ended a decade ago, had a long-lasting impact on his career as an actor. "Omar was in my DNA," Williams told Salon's D. Watkins on "Salon Talks." During the span of the eight year run of "The Wire," Williams' didn't realize the toll the character was taking on him. "I was like, oh, wait, I'm in the deep end of the pool emotionally speaking in character building," he said. "That character still stayed with me."

For Williams, exploring the ugly side of characters, has become a career choice. "I try to not get in my own way and be honest and ugly and show that ugliness. Hopefully someone will see that and find redemption," Williams said. As far as honing his craft, Williams explains how he benefits from going deep into himself to find characters. "I'm tapping my subconscious," he said. "I ask for the truth about a character to come to me-in that my psyche gets put aside. It helps me to consciously make a decision to get out of my way."