Even Tobias Menzies thinks Michael K. Williams deserved an Emmy.
The “Crown” star took home a trophy Sunday night for supporting actor in a drama series for his role as Prince Philip in Netflix’s royal drama, a category that was a near lock to go to “Lovecraft Country” star Williams, even before his death earlier this month.
“Want to dedicate this to Michael K Williams,” Menzies, 47, tweeted Monday night, saying he was “honored” by his win.
“His performance as Omar in ‘The Wire’ is one of the great screen performances. He will be deeply missed.”
Williams, who died of a suspected drug overdose in his Brooklyn apartment on Sept. 6, received rave reviews for HBO’s “Lovecraft Country,” on which he played Montrose Freeman, Atticus’ violent, cruel father with a lifetime of secrets, and had been expected to earn his first Emmy, albeit a posthumous one.
The 54-year-old actor had been nominated four times before 2021, for best supporting actor in a limited series or movie for “Bessie” in 2015, “The Night Of” in 2016 and “When They See Us” in 2019, and for best informational series or special for “Raised in the System” in 2018.
Famously, though, Williams was snubbed for his work on both “The Wire” and “Boardwalk Empire.”
Williams would have been just the seventh posthumous winner in Emmy history, following Ingrid Bergman, Audrey Hepburn, Raúl Juliá, Diana Hyland, Marion Lorne and Alice Pearce.
Instead, Menzies, who was not present at Sunday’s ceremony, won, also beating “The Handmaid’s Tale’s” O-T Fagbenle, Max Minghella and Bradley Whitford, “The Mandalorian’s” Giancarlo Esposito, “Perry Mason’s” John Lithgow and “This Is Us” actor Chris Sullivan.