Michael K. Williams was ready to quit acting before landing The Wire role

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Omar Little wasn’t just a career-defining role for Michael K. Williams, but a career-saving one.

Appearing on the latest episode of People TV’s Couch Surfing, the actor reveals he was on the verge of giving up acting before he landed the part of The Wire‘s most memorable stickup artist.

After struggling to land any acting gigs in 1999, Williams went to work for two years at the daycare his mom owned. “I got an itch. I said, I need to give this one more shot,” he shares.

So he decided to take one last shot, prepared to change diapers for the rest of his life if this go-round didn’t work. But the phone still wasn’t ringing. “It was just a really dark time,” admits Williams. “I kind of slipped into a depression… and I was lost.”

But then came the most important fax of his life.

Watch the full video above for more.