This depth was seen in a Reddit AMA Williams did where he discussed the favorite role. He wrote on Reddit that the ’90s film “Awakenings,” where he played Dr. Michael Sayer, was a “gift” because it gave him the chance to “explore the human brain from the inside out.”
Williams continued to explore the complexity of the brain and emotions through his roles up until he took his own life in 2014 after battling Lewy body dementia, per CNN. According to the National Institute of Health, Lewy body dementia “affects chemicals in the brain whose changes, in turn, can lead to problems with thinking movement, behavior, and mood.”
The actor got to explore more of the human brain when he guest starred on “Law and Order: SVU” in 2008. The episode, “Authority,” landed Williams an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Merrit Rook, who Newsweek explains was, “a man who calls people pretending to be a police officer and convinces them to carry out criminal acts, a storyline based on the 2004 strip search phone call scam.”
According to friend and SVU actor and producer Richard Belzer, aka Detective John Munch, Williams was a “fan” of the show and wanted to guest star. But we’re not the only ones who are glad he did — Mariska Hargitay did, too. According to Express, Williams was her favorite guest star. “It was being in the presence of true greatness.”
