LOS ANGELES _ After filming a role in the upcoming Han Solo "Star Wars" film, Michael Kenneth Williams says his performance no longer will appear in the final product. The Los Angeles Times confirmed the news, which was originally reported by Deadline on Tuesday.
Best known for playing Omar Little on "The Wire," the actor told Deadline he was unable to make reshoots for the film because of a scheduling conflict. As a result, his part, which supposedly was a human-animal hybrid, had to be cut from the movie, which is scheduled for release on May 25.
"I felt great about what I created with the directors that I worked with. It is what it is," Williams said, referring to Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who originally were hired as co-directors on the film. In June, the two were fired and replaced by Ron Howard, who is overseeing the new reshoots.
Williams is in South Africa shooting the spy drama "The Red Sea Diving Resort," and the reshoots would have required him to return to London during the same time.
"When Ron Howard got hired to finish out the film, there were some reshoot issues that needed to be done in regards to my character, in order for it to match the new direction which the producers wanted Ron to carry the film in," Williams told Deadline. "They wanted me now; I couldn't go. So they had to clip-clip-clip."
Despite the hiccup, however, the actor said he is hopeful he eventually will return to the "Star Wars" family.
"I left with a very good taste in my mouth about the whole family, and I hope that I left a good taste in their mouth," he said. "They're a great group of people, the Lucas family."
