When the Deepwater Horizon disaster struck in 2010, Mike Williams, who worked as the Chief Electronics Technician on the oil rig, emerged as one of the voices of the tragedy. Williams was one of the last workers to leave the rig, having bypassed lifeboats in favor of trying to help save others and salvage the rig. He ended up jumping ship, literally, to escape to safety, and his dramatic story is the subject of the new film Deepwater Horizon . It's been six years since he survived the disaster, but where is Mike Williams of Deepwater Horizon now, right as what's perhaps one of the most defining days of his life is about to be a major motion picture?
Williams became the default spokesman and face of the Deepwater Horizon crew after giving an in-depth interview with 60 minutes a few months after the disaster, and so it's natural that he's a major part of the new film. Played by Mark Wahlberg in Deepwater Horizon, Williams is the main protagonist of the film based on the New York Times article "Deepwater Horizon's Final Hours" by David Barstow, David Rohde, and Stephanie Saul. Though the article is more of a factual account than a narrative from Williams' point of view, it's clear the film takes a different route. And this takes us to where Williams is now: he's in Hollywood (or, well, Hollywood adjacent).
Williams actually helped make Deepwater Horizon come to life. He worked as a consultant on the film and was a consistent presence on set, something he said he did to honor the 11 men who died in the disaster. "That was my sole mission for agreeing to this, to begin with, was... that we honor those 11 men that sacrificed themselves so I could still be here," Williams told WWLTV at the New Orleans premiere. Williams was one of many Deepwater Horizon survivors to attend the premiere, and he and his co-worker, Caleb Holloway (played by Dylan O'Brien in the film), were two of the main consultants on set. Williams has continued supporting the movie, promoting it at the Toronto International Film Festival and across the U.S.
Yet just because Williams has temporarily gone Hollywood, don't expect to see him reaching for stardom any time soon. "I'm not the guy that's looking for the limelight," Williams told MovieWeb at the Deepwater Horizon premiere, "I wasn't looking for this project, it found me." But perhaps after the movie's release, Williams' star will rise regardless.
Images: Summit Entertainment
