Mykelti Williamson

Mykelti Williamson (; born Michael T. Williamson; March 4, 1957) is an American actor and director best known for his roles in the films Forrest Gump, 12 Angry Men, Con Air, and Ali, and the television shows Boomtown, 24, and Justified. In 2016, he portrayed Gabriel Maxson in Denzel Washington's acclaimed film adaptation of August Wilson's play Fences, reprising his role from the 2010 Broadway revival.

Williamson's other notable roles include Wildcats, Miracle Mile, The First Power, Free Willy, Heat, Lucky Number Slevin, Three Kings, August Rush, Black Dynamite, The Final Destination, ATL, Species II, Hollows Grove, and The Purge: Election Year.

Early life and education Mykelti Williamson was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the son of Elaine, a certified public accountant, and a father who was an Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer. He is of African American descent and has stated he has Blackfoot ancestry.

Williamson began performing at the age of nine. Along with acting, he also danced as an alternate member of The Lockers troupe on Soul Train along with Fred Berry (star of TV sitcom What's Happening!!). At age nine, Williamson relocated to Los Angeles with his family. He studied television and film at Los Angeles City College. He audited acting classes at USC under the tutelage of Dr. Frank X. Ford Williamson, and later transferred to Gene Evans Motion Picture School in San Jose, earning his certificate in Cinematography/Film Production.

Career Williamson began acting professionally as a child. His first TV appearances include Starsky & Hutch, Father Murphy, Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, China Beach, and Midnight Caller. Perhaps his best-known television role was as program director Donovan Aderhold in the syndicated series The New WKRP in Cincinnati. Williamson also starred in PBS's TV series The 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 played Charles "Big Neck" McMorris, the lead singer of the group in the show in which he was just a teenager at that time.

One of Williamson's first film appearances was in Streets of Fire (1984). His credits include Wildcats (1986) with Goldie Hawn, Miracle Mile (1989), The First Power (1990) with Lou Diamond Phillips, Free Willy (1993), Forrest Gump (1994) with Tom Hanks, Waiting to Exhale (1995), Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995) Heat (1995), Soul of the Game (1996) with Delroy Lindo, Con Air (1997), Truth or Consequences, N.M. (1997), William Friedkin's TV version of 12 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), and The Purge: Election Year (2016). Williamson is best known as Private Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue in the Academy Award–winning 1994 film Forrest Gump. He would also more than once play the role of social worker Dwight Mercer in the Free Willy franchise. He also received favorable reviews when he played Negro league baseball player Josh Gibson in the HBO film Soul of the Game (1996).

Williamson has made many guest appearances in TV and film. His most recent film appearances have included Ali (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), and Fences (2016). He was Juror #10 in the 1997 TV movie remake of 12 Angry Men (picking up the Ed Begley role from the 1957 film). He also appeared in a short-lived TV series remake The Fugitive (CBS, 2000–2001). CBS cancelled the series after one season with a total of 22 episodes.

In 2002, Williamson co-starred as Detective Bobby "Fearless" Smith in the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful crime drama Boomtown. Between 2007 and 2009, he appeared in seven episodes of CSI: NY as Chief Brigham Sinclair, reuniting him with his Forrest Gump co-star Gary Sinise. He was a main character in season 8 of 24 starring as Brian Hastings, the special agent in charge of the New York CTU. He had a recurring role as Ellstin Limehouse on the FX drama Justified. He was also cast as a homeless man named Terry George in the third season of the ABC drama Nashville. Since October 2016, Williamson has had a recurring role as Admiral Chernow in Designated Survivor. In 2017, he began appearing on Chicago P.D..

Personal life

Williamson was married to Miami Vice star Olivia Brown from July 2, 1983 until they divorced in 1985. He later married Cheryl Chisholm in 1989 with whom he had his first child, Phoenix. They divorced in 1991.

Williamson later remarried and has been with Sondra Spriggs since April 26, 1997; together they have two daughters, Nicole and Maya. The two were married during the filming of TNT's production of Buffalo Soldiers.

Williamson was charged with attempted murder in 1998 after he stabbed his ex-wife Cheryl Chisholm's boyfriend. The court reduced the charge to attempted manslaughter and he was found not guilty by jury, claiming he used the knife in self-defense after the boyfriend attacked him first.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1979 Sunnyside Hot Dog 1984 Streets of Fire B.J. as Mykel T. Williamson 1986 Wildcats Levander 'Bird' Williams as Mykel T. Williamson The Delta Force Delta Force Member Uncredited extra 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 as Mykel T. Williamson 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 Swann 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 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 Emperor Truesdale The 24th 1st Sgt. Hayes 2021 Clean Travis 2022 North of the 10 Cole Pruit 2024 Unstoppable Eddie 2025 The Last Rodeo Charlie Williams 2026 Is God Is Chuck Hall the Lawyer They Fight TBA

Television Year Title Role Notes1978 Starsky & Hutch Bruce Episode: "Black and Blue" (as Michael T. Williamson ) Salvage 1 Eddie Episode: "Golden Orbit: Part 1" (as Michael T. Williamson) 1979–1981 The White Shadow Malcolm Gruner/Fred 2 episodes 1980–1981 The Righteous Apples Charles "Big Neck" McMorris Main cast (12 episodes)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 movie1983 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 (8 episodes) 1984 Gimme a Break! Waiter Episode: "Nell's Birthday"1984–1985 Cover Up Rick 20 episodes Miami Vice Leon Jefferson/Sylvio Romulus 2 episodes 1984–1986 Hill Street Blues Officer Ron Garfield 9 episodes 1986 The Love Boat James Russell 2 episodes 1987 J.J. Starbuck Calvin Episode: "First You've Got to Go to the Picnic" 1987–1988 The Bronx Zoo Gus Butterfield Main cast (21 episodes) 1988 Police Story: Monster Manor Officer Don Luntner TV movie 1988–1991 Midnight Caller Deacon Bridges Main cast (47 episodes) 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 (46 episodes) 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 movie1997 12 Angry Men Juror #10 TV movie Buffalo Soldiers Cpl. William Christy TV movie 1999 Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years Henry Beard Delany TV movie 1999–2000 The Hoop Life Marvin Buxton Main cast (22 episodes) 2000 Holiday Heart Silas TV movie 2000–2001 The Fugitive Lt. Philip Gerard Main cast (23 episodes)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 (24 episodes)2004 The Secret Service Mike Bradford TV movie Monk Captain Walter Cage Episode: "Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan" 2005 Third Watch Detective Dante Rice 2 episodes 2006 Justice Joshua Mortin Episode: "Prior Convictions" 2006–2007 Kidnapped Virgil Hayes Main cast (13 episodes) 2007 Raines Detective Bobby "Fearless" Smith Episode: "Pilot" 2007–2009 CSI: NY Chief Brigham Sinclair 7 episodes 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 (17 episodes) The Good Wife Mathew Wade 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 18 episodes2013 Twist of Faith Uncle Moe TV movie Touch Detective Lang 4 episodes Lauren Prince Episode: "Episode #2.12"2014 Scorpion General Ned Walker Episode: "Plutonium Is Forever" Nashville Terry George 4 episodes 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 6 episodes 2016–2017 Designated Survivor Admiral Chernow 3 episodes 2017 Rebel Rene Knight Main cast (5 episodes) 2017–2018 Chicago P.D. Lieutenant Denny Woods 14 episodes 2018 Insecure Preacher Episode: "Obsessed-Like" 2018–2019 Lethal Weapon Tom Barnes 4 episodes 2020 Two Degrees T Episode: "Cigar Cave" 2021–2022 Law & Order: Organized Crime Preston Webb 9 episodes 2022 The Holiday Stocking Robert TV movie 2024 Fallout Honcho Episode: "The End" 2025 Government Cheese Gus Episode: "The Gospel of Kenny Sharp"