# Fred Williamson

Frederick Robert Williamson (born March 5, 1938), nicknamed "the Hammer", is an American actor, filmmaker, and former professional football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League (AFL) during the 1960s. He was a top sports star during the decade, and become a leading man in blaxploitation and action films beginning in the 1970s.
WIlliamson played in college at Northwestern University, and played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Pittsburgh Steelers for one season. In the AFL, Williamson played with the Oakland Raiders for four seasons, becoming a three-time AFL All-Star (1961, '62, '63). He then played three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where was a one-time AFL Champion ('66). During his football career, he earned the nickname "the Hammer" for his aggressive playing style, which incorporated martial arts techniques.
After retiring from football in 1968, Williamson made a string of a guest and supporting roles on television and in films. He played his first leading role in the blaxploitation Western The Legend of Nigger Charley (1972), which he reprised in two sequels. He starred as Tommy Gibbs in the 1973 crime drama film Black Caesar and its sequel Hell Up in Harlem. Williamson also had roles in other 1970s blaxploitation films such as Hammer (1972), That Man Bolt (1973) and Three the Hard Way (1974). Later in the decade, he worked extensively in Italian cinema, and also began to direct and produce his own films.

## Early life and education

Born in Gary, Indiana, Williamson was the only child born to Frank, a welder and Lydia Williamson. Williamson attended Froebel High School in Gary, where he ran track and played football. He graduated in 1956. After high school, Williamson left Gary to attend Northwestern University on a track and field scholarship, earning a degree in architecture.
An avid martial artist, Williamson holds black belts in Kenpō, Shotokan karate and taekwondo.

## Professional football career

After playing college football for Northwestern in the late 1950s, Williamson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Francisco 49ers. When during training camp he was switched to their defense, his attitude over the switch prompted him to play his position with too much aggression, and the coach of the 49ers asked him to quit "hammering" his players. Thus, "The Hammer" quickly stuck and became his nickname.
Williamson was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and played one year for the Steelers in the National Football League in 1960. Next, he moved to the new American Football League. Williamson played four seasons for the AFL's Oakland Raiders, making the AFL All-Star team in 1961, 1962, and 1963. He also played three seasons for the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs. During his period of playing for the Chiefs, Williamson became one of football's first self-promoters, nurturing the nickname "The Hammer" because he used his forearm to deliver karate-style blows to the heads of opposing players, especially wide receivers. Before Super Bowl I, Williamson garnered national headlines by boasting that he would knock the Green Bay Packers starting receivers, Carroll Dale and Boyd Dowler, out of the game. He stated "Two hammers to Dowler, one to Dale should be enough".
His prediction turned out to be an ironic one because "they (Green Bay) broke the hammer" as Williamson himself was knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter on the way to a 35–10 defeat. Williamson's head met the knee of the Packers' running back Donny Anderson. Williamson later suffered a broken arm from his own teammate when Chiefs linebacker Sherrill Headrick fell on him. Williamson finished his eight-season pro football career in 1967 with a history of many hard tackles, passes knocked away, and 36 pass interceptions in 104 games. Williamson returned his interceptions for 479 yards and two touchdowns. After signing with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League during the 1968 season, but not having played in a league game, Williamson retired.

## Acting career

Williamson became an actor much in the mold of star running back Jim Brown. He acted alongside Brown in films such as Three the Hard Way (1974), Take a Hard Ride (1975), One Down, Two to Go (1982), which also featured Jim Kelly. Other films with Brown were Original Gangstas (1996) and On the Edge (2002). Williamson also guest starred with Brown in various television roles. In October 1973, Williamson posed nude for Playgirl magazine, preempting Brown's appearance in 1974. Williamson's early television roles included a role in the original Star Trek episode "The Cloud Minders" (1969), in which he played Anka. He also played Diahann Carroll's love interest in the sitcom Julia. In an interview for the DVD of Bronx Warriors, Williamson stated that his role in Julia was created for him when he convinced the producers that the Black community was upset that Julia had a different boyfriend every week.
Williamson's early film work included roles in M*A*S*H (1970) and Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970). He portrayed an escaped slave who flees westward in The Legend of Nigger Charley (1972). He played the role of an African-American gangster in the film Black Caesar (1973) and its subsequent sequel, Hell Up in Harlem (also 1973). Williamson also starred in the 1975 western film Boss Nigger, in which he played the title role. After this he appeared as an actor in several films, most of which are considered to be of the "blaxploitation" genre. Williamson starred alongside Peter Boyle and Eli Wallach in the movie Crazy Joe (1974).
Williamson co-starred in the short-lived series Half Nelson (1985). During the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s, Williamson frequently appeared on television as a spokesman for King Cobra malt liquor ("Don't let the smooth taste fool you."), as did fellow actor/martial artist Martin Kove. In 1994, Williamson, along with many other black actors from the 'Blaxploitation' movie era (namely Antonio Fargas, Pam Grier, Rudy Ray Moore, and Ron O'Neal) made a cameo appearance on Snoop Doggy Dogg's music video "Doggy Dogg World", where he appears as himself using his pro-football nickname "The Hammer". Williamson co-starred with George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino in From Dusk till Dawn (1996), directed by Robert Rodriguez. He was in the cast of the original The Inglorious Bastards (1978), which would later inspire Tarantino's 2009 film of similar name.
Williamson has continued his career as an actor and director into the 21st Century, appearing in the reboot film Starsky & Hutch (2004) derived from the 1970s television series.

### Monday Night Football

In 1974, Williamson was hired by the ABC television network to serve as a color commentator on Monday Night Football, replacing Don Meredith, who had left to pursue an acting and broadcasting career at rival network NBC. Williamson was used on a few pre-season broadcasts, but was quickly declared unsuitable by ABC. He was relieved of his duties at the beginning of the regular season, becoming the first MNF personality not to endure for an entire season. He was replaced by the fellow former player (and fellow Gary, Indiana, native) Alex Karras.

### Working with clique of actors

Williamson has co-starred in a number of films with Bo Svenson. They include, The Inglorious Bastards (1978), Deadly Impact (1984), Delta Force Commando (1987), The Kill Reflex (1989), Three Days to a Kill (1991), and Steele's Law (1991)

### Directing and producing

Since the 1970s, Williamson has had another career as a director and producer. His first film as producer was Boss Nigger (1975), in which he also starred. His second film as producer was with Mean Johnny Barrows (1976), a predecessor of the Rambo films which similarly featured a violent Vietnam Vet plot (though the novel First Blood on which the film First Blood was based was written in 1972). He has since directed over 20 features. In the middle of the 1970s, Williamson relocated to Rome, Italy and formed his own company Po' Boy Productions, which started to produce actioners including Adios Amigo (1976) and Death Journey (1976), both of which starred and were directed by Williamson. Although his most recent efforts as director and producer have mainly been direct-to-video, Williamson remains an active film maker.

## Personal life

Williamson has been married twice. His first marriage was to Ginette Lavonda from 1960 until 1967. Williamson has been married to Linda Williamson since 1988. Williamson has at least three children but some sources state he has at least six. Since 1997, Williamson has had a home in Palm Springs, California.
In June 2020, The Daily Beast reported that Williamson had allegedly attempted to grope an assistant costume designer during a wardrobe fitting. He denied the charge.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1970 | M*A*S*H | Dr. Oliver "Spearchucker" Jones | |
| 1970 | Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon | Beach Boy | |
| 1972 | The Legend of Nigger Charley | Nigger Charley | |
| 1972 | Hammer | B.J. Hammer | |
| 1973 | Black Caesar | Tommy Gibbs | |
| 1973 | The Soul of Nigger Charley | Charley | |
| 1973 | Hell Up in Harlem | Tommy Gibbs | |
| 1973 | That Man Bolt | Jefferson Bolt | |
| 1974 | Crazy Joe | Willy | |
| 1974 | Three Tough Guys | Joe Snake | |
| 1974 | Black Eye | Shep Stone | |
| 1974 | Three the Hard Way | Jagger Daniels | |
| 1975 | Boss Nigger | Boss Nigger | |
| 1975 | Bucktown | Duke Johnson | |
| 1975 | Take a Hard Ride | Tyree | |
| 1975 | Mean Johnny Barrows | Johnny Barrows | Also director |
| 1975 | The New Spartans | Lincoln Jefferson Washington IV | |
| 1976 | Adios Amigo | Ben "Big Ben" | Also director |
| 1976 | Death Journey | Jesse Crowder | Also director |
| 1976 | No Way Back | Jesse Crowder | Also director |
| 1976 | Blind Rage | Jesse Crowder | |
| 1976 | Joshua | Joshua | |
| 1977 | Mr. Mean | Mr. Mean | Also director |
| 1978 | The Inglorious Bastards | Private Fred Canfield | |
| 1980 | Fist of Fear, Touch of Death | Himself | |
| 1981 | Fear In The City | John Dikson | |
| 1982 | Vigilante | Nick | |
| 1982 | 1990: The Bronx Warriors | The Ogre | |
| 1982 | One Down, Two to Go | Cal | Also director |
| 1982 | The New Barbarians | Nadir | |
| 1983 | The Last Fight | Jesse Crowder | Also director |
| 1983 | The Big Score | Detective Frank Hooks | Also director |
| 1983 | Warrior of the Lost World | Henchman | |
| 1984 | Warriors of the Year 2072 | Abdul | |
| 1984 | Deadly Impact | Lou | |
| 1985 | White Fire | Noah Barclay | |
| 1986 | Foxtrap | Thomas Fox | Also director |
| 1986 | The Messenger | Jake Sebastian Turner | Also director |
| 1987 | Black Cobra | Detective Robert Malone | |
| 1987 | Inglorious Bastards 2: Hell's Heroes | Feather | |
| 1988 | Delta Force Commando | Captain Samuel Beck | |
| 1988 | Taxi Killer | | |
| 1988 | Deadly Intent | Curt Slate | |
| 1989 | Black Cobra 2 | Detective Robert Malone | |
| 1990 | The Kill Reflex | Soda Cracker | Also director |
| 1990 | Delta Force Commando II: Priority Red One | Captain Sam Back | |
| 1990 | Black Cobra 3 | Detective Robert Malone | |
| 1991 | Black Cobra 4 | Detective Robert Malone | |
| 1991 | Steele's Law | Lieutenant John Steele | Also director |
| 1992 | Three Days to a Kill | Cal | Also director |
| 1992 | State Of Mind | Loomis | |
| 1992 | Deceptions | Brady | |
| 1993 | South Beach | Mack Derringer | Also director |
| 1995 | Silent Hunter | Sheriff Mantee | Also director |
| 1996 | From Dusk till Dawn | Frost | |
| 1996 | Original Gangstas | John Bookman | |
| 1997 | Night Vision | Dakota "Dak" Smith | |
| 1997 | Pitch | Himself | Documentary |
| 1998 | Ride | Casper's Dream Dad | |
| 1998 | Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror | Sheriff Skaggs | |
| 1998 | Whatever It Takes | Paulie Salano | |
| 2000 | Active Stealth | Captain Reynolds | |
| 2000 | Submerged | Captain Masters | |
| 2000 | Down 'n Dirty | Dakota Smith | Also director |
| 2000 | The Independent | Himself | |
| 2001 | Deadly Rhapsody | Jake | |
| 2001 | Shadow Fury | Sam | |
| 2001 | The Rage Within | Dakota Smith | |
| 2002 | On the Edge | Dakota Smith | Also director |
| 2004 | Starsky & Hutch | Captain Doby | |
| 2004 | If Love Hadn't Left Me Lonely | Willie Brownlee Davis | Also director |
| 2005 | Transformed | "The Hammer" | |
| 2006 | Spaced Out | "The Hammer" | |
| 2006 | Crooked | Jack Paxton | |
| 2007 | Vegas Vampires | Fred Pittman | Also director |
| 2007 | Fighting Words | Gabriel | |
| 2007 | Revamped | Captain Michaels | |
| 2010 | Shoot the Hero! | The General | |
| 2010 | Street Poet | Gabriel | |
| 2010 | Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption | Moses | |
| 2012 | The Voices from Beyond | Agent Farley | |
| 2012 | Last Ounce of Courage | Warren Hammerschmidt | |
| 2012 | Dropping Evil | Commander Death Blood | |
| 2013 | .357 | "Hammer" | |
| 2014 | Billy Trigger | Pops | |
| 2015 | Atomic Eden | Stoker | |
| 2017 | Check Point | Chester | |
| 2017 | A Chance in the World | Charlie | |
| 2018 | Unkillable | Master Lee | |
| 2018 | Jackson Bolt | Tommy | |
| 2018 | A Stone Cold Christmas | Mark Kurt | |
| 2019 | Bodyguard Wars | | |
| 2019 | VFW | Abe Hawkins | |
| 2021 | Devil's Triangle | Pluto | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1968 | Ironside | Detective Sergeant La Peer | TV series |
| 1969 | The Outsider | Randall | TV series |
| 1969 | Star Trek: The Original Series | Anka | TV series; Season 3, Episode 21, "The Cloud Minders" |
| 1969 | The Bold Ones: The Protectors | Arnold Bartell / Officer Williams | TV series |
| 1969–1971 | Julia | Steve Bruce / Dave Boyd | TV series |
| 1972–1974 | Soul Train | Guest | TV series |
| 1973–1976 | Police Story | Sergeant Bunny Green / "Snake" McKay | TV series |
| 1974 | The Rookies | Johnny Barrows | TV series |
| 1978 | Wheels | Leonard Wingate | TV miniseries |
| 1979 | Supertrain | Al Roberts | TV series |
| 1979 | CHiPs | Ty | TV series |
| 1979 | Fantasy Island | Jackson Malone | TV series |
| 1981 | Lou Grant | "Crusher" Carter | TV series |
| 1985 | Half Nelson | Chester Long | TV series |
| 1985 | The Equalizer | Lieutenant Mason Warren | TV series |
| 1988 | Amen | Barnet Thompson | TV series |
| 1994 | Renegade | Jean-Luc Leveaux | TV series |
| 1996 | Arliss | Fred Williamson | TV series |
| 1997–1998 | Fast Track | Lowell Carter | TV series |
| 1998 | Blackjack | Tim Hastings | TV movie |
| 1998 | Psi Factor | Fred Milton Di genova / Fred Milton Di Genova | TV series |
| 2000 | The Jamie Foxx Show | Himself | TV series |
| 2001 | Carmen: A Hip Hopera | Lou | TV movie |
| 2002 | Sexual Preadator Alert | Host | TV series |
| 2005 | Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide | Coach Stax | TV series |
| 2007–2008 | Hello Paradise | | TV series |
| 2009 | Knight Rider | DEA Director | TV series |
| 2009 | Pushing Daisies | Roland "Rollie" Stingwell | TV series |
| 2012–2015 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Chief / Dale's Boss | TV series |
| 2014–2016 | Real Husbands of Hollywood | Jet Black | TV series |
| 2017 | Being Mary Jane | Frank Pearl | TV series |