Omar Was Based on a Real Person
The Robin Hood-esque character of Omar Little was sometimes criticized for being the kind of television anti-hero who could never exist in real life, but the character, known for hauntingly whistling “The Farmer in the Dell” while stalking the streets, was based on real life Baltimore area robber and hitman, Donnie Andrews.
Like Omar, Andrews was a stickup artist who robbed drug dealers but never involved women and children. After taking on a contract killing for drug kingpin Warren Boardley to support his heroin addiction, Andrews was filled with guilt and surrendered himself to police. Creator David Simon, was a co-author on a book partially about Andrews called The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood. Omar wasn’t the only character with roots in reality.
