Last night’s “Boardwalk Empire” marked the beginning of the end for the period gangster drama, and at the red carpet premiere for the final season, the cast shared their mixed emotions about saying “goodbye” to the show and their characters.
“I’m sad to see it go, but I’m excited to give it to the world and get them what they’ve been waiting for. I’m going to miss my coworkers. We got along,” said Michael K. Willams, who plays Chalky White. “There was great writing, a great crew and great cast. It was a great working environment, so I’m going to miss that.”
But Williams is well-prepared for his current series to end. He’s been through this before. Williams earned serious recognition for playing fan-favorite character Omar on “The Wire.” The two experiences of ending a series have been markedly different for him though.
“Chalky grew on me in a way that Omar may or may not have. I was a little more focused going into this show, a little more experience as to how to carry a reoccurring character, like Chalky,” Williams said. “I’m going to miss the work we did as a cast.”
When “The Wire” ended, Williams didn’t know how to handle that experience, but for “Boardwalk Empire,” he’s more prepared.
“I had no idea what I was dealing with when ‘The Wire’ ended. I got really sad, and I just didn’t understand,” he said. “I got a little too attached to the show, to the character, to the coworkers. I didn’t know how to save a part of myself for the moving on process. I got drowned in a lot of sadness. This time around, I’m a little more mature. This is just a job. Jobs do end. It’s time to move on. I embrace it now.”
“Boardwalk Empire” airs Sundays on 9 p.m. ET.
Kevin P. Sullivan
Writer/editor for MTV. If it involves cowboys, spies, or hitmen, I’m there. All three would be ideal.
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