“The Wire” actor Michael K. Williams was nothing like the tough-guy characters he portrayed, his nephews told The Post Monday, remembering their beloved “Uncle Mike’’ and revealing how excited he was to land an 2021 Emmy nomination.
“It’s heartbreaking, heartbreaking,’’ Arvance Williams said of his uncle, whose body was found in his Brooklyn penthouse Monday afternoon after an apparent heroin overdose.
“I still can’t wrap my head around it,’’ said Arvance — who at one point emotionally walked alongside and touched the white state van that was set to transport the “Boardwalk Empire” TV star’s body from his Williamsburg apartment.
“I was just with him. I just bought him some fabric so he can go to the Emmys, to put under his blazer.
“He just got nominated for an Emmy, and he was going to LA, so he was real excited about that,” the nephew said, referring to the recent recognition Williams received for his work as Montrose Freeman in HBO’s “Lovecraft Country.”
“You guys know him as the actor, we know him as Uncle Mike. We love him,’’ Arvance added to reporters outside Williams’ apartment building.
“My uncle was such a sweet person. A lot of the characters he played as mean and gangster — it was a joke, because he was totally not that way,’’ the nephew said.
“I’m like, ‘This guy is a really good actor.’ Because if you knew Mike, he was a sweetheart. … A very gentle, gentle person. And I just look at some of the stuff he doing and I would just laugh ‘cuz that’s totally not him.’’
Arvance said he thought he would see his uncle this past weekend.
“We were supposed to go to Pennsylvania. But we canceled that, and I was going to just touch base with him, come over to the house and cook. Sit down eat with him.
“And this happened. It’s not even real. I can’t even process it yet. I don’t even believe it.’’
Another nephew, Booker T. Williams, said of the late actor, “My uncle was loving. My family loved him. He loved our family. He loved our community, and he did everything in his power to show love.’’
Booker was captured in a Post photo sobbing alone at a table outside Williams’ building after his dead uncle was discovered, telling someone on the phone, “I found the body.’’
Law-enforcement sources said a relative found the body, although Arvance said it was not Booker.
Arvance also talked about their uncle’s lasting “legacy’’ — which will reach far beyond acting — and his love for his home borough.
“Brooklyn was everything for Mike. Brooklyn made him,’’ Arvance said of the East Flatbush native. “He loved Brooklyn. He was very proud of Brooklyn.
“I’m just sorry his life was cut short because he had so many other positive things to do. But he lives through me, and I’m gonna do some positive, great things to keep my uncle’s legacy going.”
Arvance acknowledged his uncle’s struggle with addiction, but said the actor did not open up to him about it.
“I know he had addictions, but that’s not something I really talked to him about,” the nephew said. “I would ask him how he’s doing, but Mike was very private and he liked to deal with his things I guess in his own way.”
‘“He had his little demons and he would fight it. But Mike was the type of person, he will fall and he would get back up. So he was always trying to do better. He was always fighting. He was always fighting, and trying to stay positive,” said Arvance.