Fred Williamson

Fred Williamson
Frederick Robert Williamson (born March 5, 1938), also known as "the Hammer", is an American actor and former professional football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League (AFL) during the 1960s. Williamson has had a busy film career, starring 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).
Early life and education
Born in Gary, Indiana, Williamson was the only child born to Frank, a welder and Lydia Williamson. Williamson attended DuSable High School in Chicago, where he ran track and played football. He graduated in 1956. After high school, Williamson left Chicago for the United Stated Marines before heading to Evanston, Illinois to attend Northwestern University on a track and field scholarship.
Career
Football
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
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), 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). In 1974, Williamson was selected by the ABC television network as a commentator on Monday Night Football to replace 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.
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.
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. Williamson has black belts in Kenpō, Shotokan karate and taekwondo. Since 1997, Williamson has had a home in Palm Springs, California.
Filmography
Ironside (1968, TV series) as Det. Sgt. La Peer
The Outsider (1969, TV series) as Randall
Star Trek: The Original Series (1969, TV series) as Anka in S3:E21, "The Cloud Minders"
The Bold Ones: The Protectors (1969, TV series) as Arnold Bartell/Officer Williams
M*A*S*H (1970) as Dr. Oliver 'Spearchucker' Jones
Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970) as Beach Boy
Julia (1969-1971, TV series) as Steve Bruce/Dave Boyd
The Legend of Nigger Charley (1972) as Nigger Charley
Hammer (1972) as B.J. Hammer
Soul Train (1972-1974, TV series) as Guest
Black Caesar (1973) as Tommy Gibbs
The Soul of Nigger Charley (1973) as Charley
Hell Up in Harlem (1973) as Tommy Gibbs
That Man Bolt (1973) as Jefferson Bolt
Police Story (1973-1976, TV series) as Sergeant Bunny Green/Snake McKay
Crazy Joe (1974) as Willy
Three Tough Guys (1974) as Joe Snake
Black Eye (1974) as Shep Stone
Three the Hard Way (1974) as Jagger Daniels
The Rookies (1974, TV series) as Johnny Barrows
Boss Nigger (1975) as Boss Nigger
Bucktown (1975) as Duke Johnson
Take a Hard Ride (1975) as Tyree
Mean Johnny Barrows (1975) as Johnny Barrows
The New Spartans (1975) as Lincoln Jefferson Washington IV
Adios Amigo (1976) as Big Ben
Death Journey (1976) as Jesse Crowder
No Way Back (1976) as Jesse Crowder
Blind Rage (1976) as Jesse Crowder
Joshua (1976) as Joshua
Mr. Mean (1977) as Mr. Mean
The Inglorious Bastards (1978) as Pvt. Fred Canfield
Wheels (1978, TV miniseries) as Leonard Wingate
Supertrain (1979, TV series) as Al Roberts
CHiPs (1979, TV series) as Ty
Fantasy Island (1979, TV series) as Jackson Malone
Fist of Fear, Touch of Death (1980, documentary) as Hammer, the ladies' man
Lou Grant (1981, TV series) as Crusher Carter
Fear In The City (1981) as John Dikson
Vigilante (1982) as Nick
1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982) as The Ogre
One Down, Two to Go (1982) as Cal
The New Barbarians (1982, aka Warriors of the Wasteland) as Nadir
The Last Fight (1983) as Jesse Crowder
The Big Score (1983) as Detective Frank Hooks
Warrior of the Lost World (1983) as Henchman
Warriors of the Year 2072 (1984, aka The New Gladiators) as Abdul
Deadly Impact (1984) as Lou
Half Nelson (1985, TV series) as Chester Long
The Equalizer (1985, TV series) as Lt. Mason Warren
White Fire (1985) as Noah Barclay
Foxtrap (1986) as Thomas Fox
The Messenger (1986) as Jake Sebastian Turner
Black Cobra (1987) as Detective Robert Malone
Inglorious Bastards 2: Hell's Heroes (1987) as Feather
Delta Force Commando (1988) as Capt. Samuel Beck
Amen (1988, TV series) as Barnet Thompson
Taxi Killer (1988)
Deadly Intent (1988) as Curt Slate
Black Cobra 2 (1989) as Lt. Robert 'Bob' Malone
The Kill Reflex (1990) as Soda Cracker
Delta Force Commando II: Priority Red One (1990) as Captain Sam Back
Black Cobra 3 (1990) as Lt. Robert Malone
Black Cobra 4 (1991) as Det. Robert Malone
Steele's Law (1991) as Lt. John Steele
Three Days to a Kill (1992) as Cal
State Of Mind (1992) as Loomis
Deceptions (1992) as Brady
South Beach (1993) as Mack Derringer
Renegade (1994, TV series) as Jean Luc Leveaux
Silent Hunter (1995) as Sheriff Mantee
From Dusk till Dawn (1996) as Frost
Original Gangstas (1996) as John Bookman
Arliss (1996, TV series) as Fred Williamson
Night Vision (1997) as Dakota 'Dak' Smith
Pitch (1997, documentary) as Himself
Fast Track (1997–1998, TV series) as Lowell Carter
Ride (1998) as Casper's Dream Dad
Blackjack (1998, TV movie) as Tim Hastings
Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998) as Sheriff Skaggs
Psi Factor (1998, TV series) as Fred Milton Di genova/Fred Milton Di Genova
Whatever It Takes (1998) as Paulie Salano
Active Stealth (2000) as Capt. Reynolds
Submerged (2000) as Captain Masters
Down 'n Dirty (2000) as Dakota Smith
The Jamie Foxx Show (2000, TV series) as Himself
The Independent (2000) as Himself
Deadly Rhapsody (2001) as Jake
Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001, TV movie) as Lou
Shadow Fury (2001) as Sam
The Rage Within (2001) as Dakota Smith
On the Edge (2002) as Dakota Smith
Sexual Preadator Alert (2002, TV series) as Host
Starsky & Hutch (2004) as Captain Doby
If Love Hadn't Left Me Lonely (2004) as Willie Brownlee Davis
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (2005, TV series) as Coach Stax
Transformed (2005) as The Hammer
Spaced Out (2006) as The Hammer
Crooked (2006) as Jack Paxton
Vegas Vampires (2007) as Fred Pittman
Fighting Words (2007) as Gabriel
Revamped (2007) as Captain Michaels
Hello Paradise (2007-2008, TV series)
Knight Rider (2009, TV series) as DEA Director
Pushing Daisies (2009, TV series) as Roland 'Rollie' Stingwell
Shoot the Hero! (2010) as The General
Street Poet (2010) as Gabriel
Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption (2010) as Moses
The Voices from Beyond (2012) as Agent Farley
Last Ounce of Courage (2012) as Warren Hammerschmidt
Dropping Evil (2012) as Commander Death Blood
Comedy Bang! Bang! (2012-2015, TV series) as Chief/Dale's Boss
.357 (2013) as Hammer
Billy Trigger (2014) as Pops
Real Husbands of Hollywood (2014-2016, TV series) as Jet Black
Atomic Eden (2015) as Stoker - The Leader
Check Point (2017) as Chester
Being Mary Jane (2017, TV series) as Frank Pearl
A Chance in the World (2017) as Charlie
Unkillable (2018) as Master Lee
Jackson Bolt (2018) as Tommy
A Stone Cold Christmas (2018) as Mark Kurt
Bodyguard Wars (2019)
VFW (2019) as Abe Hawkins
Devil's Triangle (2021) as Pluto
See also
List of American Football League players
References
External links
1938 births
African-American film directors
African-American male actors
American football cornerbacks
American Football League All-Star players
American male film actors
Film directors from Indiana
Kansas City Chiefs players
Living people
Male actors from Indiana
Male actors from Palm Springs, California
Male Spaghetti Western actors
National Football League announcers
Northwestern Wildcats football players
Oakland Raiders players
People with lupus
Playgirl Men of the Month
Sportspeople from Palm Springs, California
Players of American football from Riverside County, California
American Football League players
Northwestern University alumni
African-American architects
Players of American football from Gary, Indiana
Actors from Gary, Indiana
Film directors from California
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American people
Pittsburgh Steelers players
Film directors with disabilities