Mykelti Williamson(/ˈmaɪkəlti/;bornMichael T. Williamson;March 4, 1957) is an American actor best known for his roles in the filmsForrest Gump,12 Angry Men(1997),Con Air,andAli,and the television showsBoomtown,24,andJustified.In 2016, he portrayed Gabriel Maxson inDenzel Washington's acclaimedfilm adaptationofAugust Wilson's playFences,reprising his role from the 2010 Broadway revival.
Mykelti Williamson | |
|---|---|
 Williamson in 2016 | |
| Born | Michael T. Williamson March 4, 1957 St. Louis, Missouri,U.S. |
| Other names | Mykel T. Williamson |
| Alma mater | Los Angeles City College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
His other notable roles includeFree Willy,Heat,Lucky Number Slevin,Three Kings,Black Dynamite,The Final Destination,ATL,Species II,andThe Purge: Election Year.
Early life
editWilliamson was born inSt. Louis, Missouri.He is the son of Elaine, a certified public accountant, and a father who was anAir ForceNon-Commissioned Officer.[1]He is ofAfrican Americandescent and has stated he hasBlackfootancestry.[2]
Williamson began performing at the age of nine. Along with acting, he also danced as an alternate member ofThe Lockerstroupe onSoul Trainalong withFred Berry(star of TV sitcomWhat's Happening!!). At age nine, Williamson relocated to Los Angeles with his family. He studied television and film atLos Angeles City College.He audited acting classes at USC under the tutelage of Dr. Frank X. Ford Williamson, and was later transferred to Gene Evans Motion Picture School inSan Jose,earning his certificate in Cinematography/Film Production.[citation needed]
Career
editWilliamson began acting professionally as a child. His first TV appearances includeStarsky & Hutch,Father Murphy,Hill Street Blues,Miami Vice,China Beach,andMidnight Caller.Perhaps his best-known television role was as program director Donovan Aderhold in the syndicated seriesThe New WKRP in Cincinnati.Williamson also starred in PBS's TV seriesThe Righteous Apples.The show focuses on the activities of The Righteous Apples, five Boston-area high school musicians, who in a troubled world, seek to help people in distress. Williamson was the lead singer of the group in the show in which he was just a teenager at that time.
His film debut was inStreets of Fire(1984). His credits includeWildcats(1986) withGoldie Hawn,Miracle Mile(1989),The First Power(1990) withLou Diamond Phillips,Free Willy(1993),Forrest Gump(1994) withTom Hanks,Waiting to Exhale(1995),Heat(1995),Soul of the Game(1996) withDelroy Lindo,Con Air(1997),Truth or Consequences, N.M.(1997),William Friedkin's TV version of12 Angry Men(1997),Three Kings(1999),Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years(1999),Holiday Heart(2000),Black Dynamite(2009),The Final Destination(2009), andThe Purge: Election Year(2016).
Williamson is best known as Private Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue in theAcademy Award–winning 1994 filmForrest Gump.He also received favorable reviews when he playedNegro league baseballplayerJosh Gibsonin the HBO filmSoul of the Game(1996).
Williamson has made many guest appearances in TV and film. His most recent film appearances have includedAli(2001),The Assassination of Richard Nixon(2004),Get Rich or Die Tryin'(2005),ATL(2006),Lucky Number Slevin(2006),August Rush(2007),High School(2010),Convergence(2015), andFences(2016). He was Juror #10 in the 1997 TV movie remake of12 Angry Men(picking up theEd Begleyrole). He also appeared in a short-lived TV series remakeThe Fugitive(CBS, 2000–2001). CBS cancelled the series after one season with a total of 22 episodes.
In 2002, he co-starred as Detective Bobby "Fearless" Smith in the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful crime dramaBoomtown.
Between 2007 and 2009, he appeared in seven episodes ofCSI: NYas Chief Sinclair, reuniting him with hisForrest Gumpco-starGary Sinise.He was a main character inseason 8of24starring asBrian Hastings,the special agent in charge of the New York CTU.[3]
He had a recurring role as Ellstin Limehouse on theFXdramaJustified.He was also cast as a homeless man named Terry in thethird seasonof the ABC dramaNashville.Since October 2016, Williamson has had a recurring role as Admiral Chernow inDesignated Survivor.In 2017, he began appearing onChicago P.D..[4]
Personal life
editWilliamson was married toMiami VicestarOlivia Brownfrom July 2, 1983 until they divorced in 1985. He later married Cheryl Chisholm in 1989 with whom he had his first child, Phoenix.
He has been married to Sondra Spriggs since April 26, 1997; together they have two daughters, Nicole and Maya. The two were married during the filming ofTNT's production ofBuffalo Soldiers.
Williamson was charged with attempted murder in 1998 after he allegedly stabbed his ex-wife Cheryl Chisholm's boyfriend. The court reduced the charge to attempted manslaughter and he was found not guilty by jury.[5]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Sunnyside | Hot Dog | |
| 1984 | Streets of Fire | B.J. - The Sorels | Credited as Mykel T. Williamson |
| 1986 | Wildcats | Levander 'Bird' Williams | Credited as Mykel T. Williamson |
| The Delta Force | Delta Force Member | ||
| 1987 | Number One with a Bullet | Casey | |
| You Talkin' to Me? | Thatcher Marks | ||
| 1988 | Miracle Mile | Wilson | as Mykel T. Williamson |
| 1990 | The First Power | Detective Oliver Franklin | |
| 1993 | Free Willy | Dwight Mercer | |
| 1994 | Forrest Gump | Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue | |
| 1995 | Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home | Dwight Mercer | |
| How to Make an American Quilt | Winston | ||
| Heat | Sergeant Drucker | ||
| Waiting to Exhale | Troy | ||
| 1997 | Truth or Consequences, N.M. | Marcus Weans | |
| Con Air | Baby-O | ||
| Double Tap | Agent Hamilton | ||
| 1998 | Primary Colors | Dewayne Smith | |
| Species II | Dennis Gamble | ||
| Gideon | Coleman Walker | ||
| 1999 | Three Kings | Colonel Horn | |
| 2001 | Ali | Don King | |
| 2004 | The Assassination of Richard Nixon | Harold Mann | |
| After the Sunset | Agent Stafford | ||
| 2005 | Get Rich or Die Tryin' | Charlene's Stepfather | |
| 2006 | Lucky Number Slevin | Sloe | |
| Fatwa | Grady Frank | ||
| ATL | Uncle George | ||
| 2007 | Spinning into Butter | Aaron Carmichael | |
| August Rush | Reverend James | ||
| 2008 | Ball Don't Lie | Dallas | |
| Vice | Sampson | ||
| 2009 | Black Dynamite | Chicago Wind | |
| My Summer Friend | Romell | Short | |
| The Final Destination | George Lanter | ||
| 2010 | High School | Paranoid | |
| 2014 | Hollows Grove | F.B.I. Agent Jones | |
| 2015 | Convergence | Captain Miller | |
| You Bury Your Own | Detective Goodman | ||
| 2016 | The Purge: Election Year | Joe Dixon | |
| Fences | Gabriel Maxson | [6] | |
| 2018 | Run the Race | Coach Hailey | |
| Canal Street | Jackie Styles | ||
| Saint Judy | Dikembe Mustafa | ||
| Thriller | Detective Raymond Johnson | ||
| 2019 | Don't Let Go | Bobby Owens | |
| 2020 | Butter | Professor Dunn[7] | |
| Emperor | Truesdale | ||
| The 24th | 1st Sgt. Hayes | ||
| 2021 | Clean | Travis | |
| 2022 | North of the 10 | Cole Pruit |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Starsky & Hutch | Bruce | Episode: "Black and Blue" (as Michael T. Williamson[8]) |
| Salvage 1 | Eddie | Episode: "Golden Orbit: Part 1" (as Michael T. Williamson) | |
| 1979–1981 | The White Shadow | Malcolm Gruner/Fred | Episodes: "We're in the Money" & "Burnout" |
| 1980 | The Righteous Apples | Charles "Big Neck" McMorris | Main cast |
| 1981 | Freebie and the Bean | Lemar Washington | Episode: "Highway Robbery" |
| Father Murphy | Lijah | Episode: "Establish Thou the Works of Our Hands" | |
| 1982 | Desperate Lives | Jack | TV movie |
| 1983 | Alice | Player #1 | Episode: "Carrie on the Rebound" |
| Hill Street Blues | Raymond Hawkins Jr. | Episode: "Moon Over Uranus: The Final Legacy" | |
| 1983–1984 | Bay City Blues | Deejay Cunningham | Main cast |
| 1984 | Gimme a Break! | Waiter | Episode: "Nell's Birthday" |
| 1984–1985 | Cover Up | Rick | Recurring cast |
| Miami Vice | Leon Jefferson/Sylvio Romulus | Episodes: "Brother's Keeper"&"Tale of the Goat" | |
| 1984–1986 | Hill Street Blues | Officer Ron Garfield | Recurring cast (seasons 5-6), guest (season 7) |
| 1986 | The Love Boat | James Russell | Episode: "Spain Cruise: Part 1 & 2" |
| 1987 | J.J. Starbuck | Calvin | Episode: "First You've Got to Go to the Picnic" |
| 1987–1988 | The Bronx Zoo | Gus Butterfield | Main cast |
| 1988 | Police Story: Monster Manor | Officer Don Luntner | TV movie |
| 1988–1991 | Midnight Caller | Deacon Bridges | Main cast |
| 1989 | China Beach | Jean Jacques Rousseau | Episode: "Psywars" & "Promised Land" |
| 1990 | A Killer Among Us | Greg Hopkins | TV movie |
| 1991–1993 | The New WKRP in Cincinnati | Donovan Aderhold | Main cast |
| 1993 | Other Women's Children | Leonard | TV movie |
| 1994 | Time Trax | Luther Bell | Episode: "Cool Hand Darien" |
| 1995 | The Outer Limits | Dr. Michael Alders | Episode: "The Second Soul" |
| 1996 | Soul of the Game | Josh Gibson | TV movie |
| 1997 | 12 Angry Men | Juror #10 | TV movie |
| Buffalo Soldiers | Cpl. William Christy | TV movie | |
| 1999 | Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years | Papa Delany | TV movie |
| 1999–2000 | The Hoop Life | Marvin Buxton | Main cast |
| 2000 | Holiday Heart | Silas | TV movie |
| 2000–2001 | The Fugitive | Lt. Philip Gerard | Main cast |
| 2002 | Our America | Graham Ellis | TV movie |
| Touched by an Angel | Tevis Lockwood | Episode: "Ship-in-a-Bottle" | |
| 2002–2003 | Boomtown | Detective Bobby "Fearless" Smith | Main cast |
| 2004 | The Secret Service | Mike Bradford | TV movie |
| Monk | Captain Walter Cage | Episode: "Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan" | |
| 2005 | Third Watch | Detective Dante Rice | Episodes: "The 'L' Word" & "The Other 'L' Word" |
| 2006 | Justice | Joshua Mortin | Episode: "Prior Convictions" |
| 2006–2007 | Kidnapped | Virgil Hayes | Main cast |
| 2007 | Raines | Detective Bobby "Fearless" Smith | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2007–2009 | CSI: NY | Chief Brigham Sinclair | Recurring cast (seasons 3-6) |
| 2008 | One Hogan Place | Lt. Dardin | TV short |
| 2009 | Psych | Coach Sammy Winslow | Episode: "Any Given Friday Night at 10PM, 9PM Central" |
| 2010 | 24 | Brian Hastings | Main cast (season 8) |
| The Good Wife | Mathew Wade[9] | Episode: "On Tap" | |
| 2011 | Have a Little Faith | Donnie | TV movie |
| Rizzoli & Isles | U.S. Marshal Whitmore | Episode: "Don't Stop Dancing, Girl" | |
| 2012 | Single Ladies | Pierce | Episode: "All or Nothing" |
| 2012–2015 | Justified | Ellstin Limehouse | Recurring cast (seasons 3-4 & 6) |
| 2013 | Twist of Faith | Uncle Moe | TV movie |
| Touch | Detective Lang | Recurring cast (season 2) | |
| Lauren | Prince | Episode: "Episode #2.12" | |
| 2014 | Scorpion | General Ned Walker | Episode: "Plutonium Is Forever" |
| Nashville | Terry George | Recurring cast (season 3) | |
| Wild Blue | Master Chief Donald Bowman | TV movie | |
| Clementine | Ray | TV movie | |
| 2015–2016 | Hawaii Five-0 | Clay Maxwell | Episode: "Ike Hanau" & "Umia Ka Hanu" |
| 2016 | Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders | Brigadier General Yazee Zwane | Episode: "Iqiniso" |
| Underground | Moses | Recurring cast (season 1) | |
| 2016–2017 | Designated Survivor | Admiral Chernow | Guest (season 1), recurring cast (season 2) |
| 2017 | Rebel | Rene Knight | Main cast |
| 2017–2018 | Chicago P.D. | Lieutenant Denny Woods | Guest (season 4), recurring cast (season 5) |
| 2018 | Insecure | Preacher | Episode: "Obsessed-Like" |
| 2018–2019 | Lethal Weapon | Tom Barnes | Recurring cast (season 3) |
| 2020 | Two Degrees | T | Episode: "Cigar Cave" |
| 2021–2022 | Law & Order: Organized Crime | Preston Webb | Recurring cast (season 2)[10] |
| 2022 | The Holiday Stocking | Robert | TV movie |
| 2024 | Fallout | Honcho | Episode: "The End" |
References
edit- ^Mykelti Williamson profile,filmreference; accessed January 6, 2018.
- ^"'Law & Order' Star Mykelti Williamson Reveals New Career Path Where He Hopes to 'Crush Stereotypes'".Closer Weekly.July 23, 2022.RetrievedAugust 29,2024.
- ^"24 Hires Mykelti Williamson to Take Charge of CTU".TVGuide.RetrievedMay 29,2009.
- ^Andreeva, Nellie (July 18, 2017)."'Chicago P.D.': Mykelti Williamson Joins NBC Cop Drama As Recurring In season 5 ".Deadline Hollywood.Deadline.RetrievedOctober 28,2021.
- ^"'Forrest Gump' Actor Acquitted in Stabbing ".Los Angeles Times.September 5, 1998.RetrievedOctober 15,2021.
- ^Rosen, Lisa (December 1, 2016)."Mykelti Williamson looks forward to a life of service, now that 'Fences' has made life perfect".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedOctober 28,2021.
- ^N'Duka, Amanda (December 7, 2018)."Mykelti Williamson, Ravi Patel, Annabeth Gish, Newcomer Alex Kersting Plus More Join Mira Sorvino In 'Butter'".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedFebruary 19,2021.
- ^"Starsky & Hutch Season 4 Episodes".1978.RetrievedAugust 29,2024.
- ^"'The Good Wife' review: Alicia and the dangers of cell-phone romance ".EW.RetrievedMay 31,2020.
- ^Petski, Denise (August 25, 2021)."'Law & Order: Organized Crime': Lolita Davidovich, Mykelti Williamson, Guillermo Diaz & Dash Mihok Set To Recur On 'SVU' Spinoff ".Deadline Hollywood.Deadline.RetrievedOctober 28,2021.