Frederick Robert Williamson (born March 5, 1938), also known as The Hammer, is an American actor and former professional

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

who played mainly in the

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

during the 1960s. Williamson is perhaps best known for his film career, starring as Tommy Gibbs in the 1973

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and comb ...

film '' Black Caesar'' and its sequel '' Hell Up in Harlem''. Williamson also had other notable roles in other 1970s

blaxploitation Blaxploitation is an ethnic subgenre of the exploitation film that emerged in the United States during the early 1970s. The term, a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation", was coined in August 1972 by Junius Griffin, the president ...

films such as ''

Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as wi ...

'' (1972), '' That Man Bolt'' (1973) and '' Three the Hard Way'' (1974).

Early life and education

Born in

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along th ...

, Williamson was the oldest child born to Frank, a welder and Lydia Williamson. Williamson attended Froebel High School, where he ran track and played football. He graduated in 1956. After high school, Williamson left Gary for Evanston, Illinois to attend

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

on a football scholarship.

Career

Football

After playing

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...

for Northwestern in the late 1950s, Williamson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

. When during

training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events, ...

he was switched to their

defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indus ...

, his attitude over the switch prompted him to play his position with too much aggression, and the

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

of the 49ers asked him to quit "hammering" his players. Thus, "The Hammer" quickly stuck and became his nickname. Williamson played one year for the Steelers in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

. Next, he moved to the new American Football League. Williamson played four seasons for the AFL's

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...

, making the

AFL All-Star The American Football League All-Star game was the annual game which featured each year's best performers in the American Football League (AFL). The game was first played in 1961 and the final AFL All-Star game occurred in 1969, prior to the leagu ...

team in

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

, and

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...

. He also played three seasons for the AFL's

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The t ...

. 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 (; ; Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fuj ...

-style blows to the heads of opposing players, especially wide receivers. Before

Super Bowl I The first AFL–NFL World Championship Game (known retroactively as Super BowlI and referred to in contemporaneous reports, including the game's radio broadcast, as the Super Bowl) was an American football game played on January 15, 1967, at the ...

, Williamson garnered national headlines by boasting that he would knock the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...

starting receivers, Carroll Dale and

Boyd Dowler Boyd Hamilton Dowler (born October 18, 1937) is a former professional football player, a wide receiver in the National Football League. He played 12 seasons from 1959 to 1971, 11 with the Green Bay Packers and one with the Washington Redskins. ...

, 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 A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Th ...

Donny Anderson Garry Don "Donny" Anderson (born May 16, 1943) is a former professional football player, a halfback and punter for nine seasons with the Green Bay Packers and St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League. From Texas Tech (then Texas Te ...

. Williamson later suffered a broken arm from his own teammate when Chiefs linebacker

Sherrill Headrick Sherrill Headrick (March 13, 1937 – September 10, 2008) was an American professional football player. Early life Headrick grew up in Fort Worth, Texas where he was an All-District fullback at North Side High School. He played college footbal ...

fell on him.Mickey Herskowitz, "Winning the Big I", ''The Super Bowl: Celebrating a Quarter-Century of America's Greatest Game''. Simon and Schuster, 1990. . 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

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...

s. After signing with the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes ( French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Cana ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a c ...

during the 1968 season, but not having played in a league game, Williamson retired.

Acting

Fred williamson Sitges2008 by willstotler

Williamson became an actor much in the mold of star

Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American football player, sports analyst and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one ...

. He acted alongside Brown in films such as '' Three the Hard Way'' (1974), ''

Take a Hard Ride ''Take a Hard Ride'' is a 1975 Italian-American Spaghetti Western film directed by Anthony Dawson and starring Jim Brown, Lee Van Cleef, Fred Williamson and Jim Kelly. This was the second of three films Brown, Williamson, and Kelly would star in ...

'' (1975), ''

One Down, Two to Go ''One Down, Two to Go'' is a 1982 American blaxploitation action drama film written and directed by Fred Williamson and starring Williamson, Jim Brown, Richard Roundtree and Jim Kelly. This is the third film to star Williamson, Brown, and Kelly, ...

'' (1982), ''

Original Gangstas ''Original Gangstas'' is a 1996 action-gangster film filmed and set in urban Gary, Indiana starring Blaxploitation film stars such as Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, Jim Brown, and Richard Roundtree. It is the final film directed by Larry Cohen ...

'' (1996) and ''On the Edge'' (2002). Williamson also guest starred with Brown in various television roles. In October 1973, Williamson posed nude for ''

Playgirl ''Playgirl'' was an American magazine that featured general interest articles, lifestyle and celebrity news, in addition to nude or semi-nude men. In the 1970s and 1980s, the magazine printed monthly and was marketed mainly to women, although ...

'' magazine, preempting Brown's appearance in 1974. Williamson's early

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

roles included a role in the original ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' episode "

The Cloud Minders "The Cloud Minders" is the twenty-first episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Margaret Armen (based on a story by David Gerrold and Oliver Crawford) and directed by Jud Taylor, it ...

" (1969), in which he played Anka. He also played

Diahann Carroll Diahann Carroll (; born Carol Diann Johnson; July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019) was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. She rose to prominence in some of the earliest major film studio, major studio films to feature black cas ...

's love interest in the sitcom ''

Julia Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e.g ...

''. In an interview for the DVD of '' Bronx Warriors'', Williamson stated that his role in ''

'' 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 ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. T ...

'' (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 ''The Legend of Nigger Charley'' is a 1972 blaxploitation Western film directed by Martin Goldman. The story of a trio of escaped slaves, it was released during the heyday of blaxploitation films. Filmed in Charles City, Virginia, Eve's Ranch, ...

'' (1972). He played the role of an African-American

gangster A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...

in the film '' Black Caesar'' (1973) and its subsequent

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

, '' Hell Up in Harlem'' (also 1973). Williamson also starred in the 1975 western film ''

Boss Nigger ''Boss Nigger'' (also known as simply ''Boss'' and ''The Black Bounty Killer'') is a 1975 blaxploitation Western film directed by Jack Arnold, and stars former football player Fred Williamson, who both wrote and co-produced. ''Boss Nigger'' i ...

'', in which he played the

title role The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...

. After this he appeared as an actor in several films, most of which are considered to be of the "

" genre. Williamson starred alongside

Peter Boyle Peter Lawrence Boyle (October 18, 1935 – December 12, 2006) was an American actor. Known as a character actor, he played Frank Barone on the CBS sitcom '' Everybody Loves Raymond'' and the comical monster in Mel Brooks' film spoof '' Young ...

and

Eli Wallach Eli Herschel Wallach (; December 7, 1915 – June 24, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. From his 1945 Broadway debut to his last film appearance, Wallach's entertainment career spanned 65 years. Origina ...

in the movie '' Crazy Joe'' (1974). In 1974, Williamson was selected by the ABC

television network A television network or television broadcaster is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay television providers. Until the mid ...

as a commentator on ''

Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, ...

'' to replace

Don Meredith Joseph "Dandy" Don Meredith (April 10, 1938 – December 5, 2010) was an American football quarterback, sports commentator, and actor. He spent all nine seasons of his professional playing career (1960–1968) with the Dallas Cowboys of the Nat ...

, who had left to pursue an acting and broadcasting career at rival network

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

. 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 Alexander George Karras (July 15, 1935 – October 10, 2012) was an American football player, professional wrestler, sportscaster, and actor. He was a four-time Pro Bowl player with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), w ...

. 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 Martin Kove () (born ) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as John Kreese, the main antagonist of ''The Karate Kid'' (1984). He reprised the role in ''The Karate Kid Part II'' (1986), '' The Karate Kid Part III'' (1989), and th ...

. In 1994, Williamson, along with many other black actors from the '

Blaxploitation Blaxploitation is an ethnic subgenre of the exploitation film that emerged in the United States during the early 1970s. The term, a portmanteau of the words "black" and "exploitation", was coined in August 1972 by Junius Griffin, the president ...

' movie era (namely

Antonio Fargas Antonio Juan Fargas (born August 14, 1946) is an American actor known for his roles in 1970s blaxploitation and comedy movies, as well as his portrayal as Huggy Bear in the 1970s TV series ''Starsky & Hutch''. Early life Fargas was born in New Y ...

Pam Grier Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress and singer. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star (although, there are some who dispute that claim and believe Cheng Pei-pei actually holds that distinc ...

Rudy Ray Moore Rudolph Frank Moore (March 17, 1927October 19, 2008), known as Rudy Ray Moore, was an American comedian, singer, actor, and film producer.Ron O'Neal Ron O'Neal (September 1, 1937 – January 14, 2004) was an American actor, director and screenwriter, who rose to fame in his role as Youngblood Priest, a New York cocaine dealer, in the blaxploitation film '' Super Fly'' (1972) and its seq ...

) made a cameo appearance on

Snoop Doggy Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

" Doggy Dogg World", where he appears as himself using his pro-football nickname "The Hammer". Williamson co-starred with

George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Academy Awards, one for his acting and the ot ...

and

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...

in ''

From Dusk till Dawn ''From Dusk till Dawn'' is a 1996 American action horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino from a concept and story by Robert Kurtzman. Starring Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Ernest Liu, an ...

'' (1996), directed by

Robert Rodriguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez (; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 ac ...

. He was in the cast of the original ''

The Inglorious Bastards ''The Inglorious Bastards'' ( it, Quel maledetto treno blindato, lit=That damned armored train) is a 1978 Italian Euro War film directed by Enzo G. Castellari and starring Bo Svenson, Peter Hooten, Fred Williamson, Jackie Basehart, and Ian B ...

'' (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 ''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a ''Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired by th ...

'' (2004) derived from the 1970s television series.

Directing and producing

Since the 1970s, Williamson has had another career as a director and producer. His first film as producer was ''

'' (1975), in which he also starred. His second film as producer was with '' Mean Johnny Barrows'' (1976), a predecessor of the ''

Rambo Rambo is a surname with Norwegian (Vestfold) and Swedish origins. It possibly originated with '' ramn'' + '' bo'', meaning "raven's nest". It has variants in French (''Rambeau'', ''Rambaut'', and ''Rimbaud'') and German (''Rambow''). It is now best ...

'' films which similarly featured a violent

Vietnam Vet A Vietnam veteran is a person who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. The term has been used to describe veterans who served in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States Armed Forces, and ot ...

plot (though the novel ''

First Blood ''First Blood'' (also known as ''Rambo: First Blood'') is a 1982 American action film directed by Ted Kotcheff, and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also stars as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. It co-stars Richard Crenna as Rambo's ment ...

'' on which the film ''

'' was based was written in 1972). He has since directed over 20 features. In the middle of the 1970s, Williamson relocated to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, 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 Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy w ...

, 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 is the name of several arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word "''quánfǎ''". This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use ...

Shotokan karate is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" throug ...

and

taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...

. Since 1997, Williamson has had a home in

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by lan ...

.Blair, Iain (January 3, 2008)
"Desert home companions: a wide range of industry pros, from stars to stuntmen, have put down roots in P.S."
''Daily Variety'': V Plus: Palm Springs International Film Festival. Reed Business Information, Inc. Retrieved January 10, 2013 from

HighBeam Research HighBeam Research was a paid search engine and full text online archive owned by Gale, a subsidiary of Cengage, for thousands of newspapers, magazines, academic journals, newswires, trade magazines, and encyclopedias in English. It was head ...

Filmography

* '' Ironside'' (1968, TV series) as Det. Sgt. La Peer * ''The Outsider'' (1969, TV series) as Randall * ''

Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...

'' (1969, TV series) as Anka * '' The Bold Ones: The Protectors'' (1969, TV series) as Arnold Bartell/Officer Williams * ''

'' (1970) as Dr. Oliver 'Spearchucker' Jones * '' Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon'' (1970) as Beach Boy * ''

'' (1969-1971, TV series) as Steve Bruce/Dave Boyd * ''

'' (1972) as Nigger Charley * ''

'' (1972) as B.J. Hammer * ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series ...

'' (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 ''Three Tough Guys'' (also known as ''Tough Guys'') is a 1974 crime-action film directed by Duccio Tessari. It may be regarded as an example of the Blaxploitation genre. It stars Lino Ventura, Fred Williamson and Isaac Hayes, who also compo ...

'' (1974) as Joe Snake * ''

Black Eye A periorbital hematoma, commonly called a black eye or a shiner (associated with boxing or stick sports such as hockey), is bruising around the eye commonly due to an injury to the face rather than to the eye. The name refers to the dark-colo ...

'' (1974) as Shep Stone * '' Three the Hard Way'' (1974) as Jagger Daniels * ''

The Rookies ''The Rookies'' is an American police procedural series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department (SC ...

'' (1974, TV series) as Johnny Barrows * ''

'' (1975) as Boss Nigger * '' Bucktown'' (1975) as Duke Johnson * ''

'' (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 Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...

'' (1976) as Joshua * '' Mr. Mean'' (1977) as Mr. Mean * ''

'' (1978) as Pvt. Fred Canfield * ''

Wheels A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axles, allow heavy objects to b ...

'' (1978, TV miniseries) as Leonard Wingate * ''

Supertrain ''Supertrain'' is an American science fiction-adventure-drama television series that ran on NBC from February 7 to May 5, 1979. Nine episodes were made, including a two-hour pilot episode. Premise The series takes place on the ''Supertrain'', a ...

'' (1979, TV series) as Al Roberts * ''

CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The seri ...

'' (1979, TV series) as Ty * ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tatto ...

'' (1979, TV series) as Jackson Malone * ''

Fist of Fear, Touch of Death ''Fist of Fear, Touch of Death'', also known as ''The Dragon and the Cobra'', is a 1980 martial arts film set at the "1979 World Karate Championships" at Madison Square Garden that will supposedly determine the "successor" to Bruce Lee. The film ...

'' (1980, documentary) as Hammer, the ladies' man * ''

Lou Grant Lou Grant is a fictional character played by Ed Asner in two television series produced by MTM Enterprises for CBS. The first was ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), a half-hour light-hearted situation comedy in which the character ...

'' (1981, TV series) as Crusher Carter * ''Fear In The City'' (1981) as John Dikson * ''

Vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...

'' (1982) as Nick * '' 1990: The Bronx Warriors'' (1982) as The Ogre * ''

'' (1982) as Cal * ''

The New Barbarians ''The New Barbarians'' ( it, I nuovi barbari; also known as ''Warriors of the Wasteland'') is a 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic action film directed by Enzo G. Castellari, written by Castellari and Tito Carpi, and starring Giancarlo Prete and Geo ...

'' (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 ''Warriors of the Year 2072'' ( it, I Guerrieri dell'anno 2072) is a 1984 Italian science fiction film directed by Lucio Fulci. The film is set in the 21st century, where Romans have found a new way to handle criminals: by having them fight each o ...

'' (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 ''White Fire'' (also known as ''Vivre Pour Survivre'' and ''Le Diamant'') is a 1984 French- American-Italian- Turkish thriller film by Jean-Marie Pallardy. It stars Belinda Mayne, Robert Ginty, Fred Williamson, Gordon Mitchell and Jess Hahn. T ...

'' (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 Amen ( he, אָמֵן, ; grc, ἀμήν, ; syc, ܐܡܝܢ, ; ar, آمين, ) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jewish, Christian, and ...

'' (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 South Beach, also nicknamed colloquially as SoBe, is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida. It is located east of Miami between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses Miami Beach south of Dade Boulevard. This area was the ...

'' (1993) as Mack Derringer * ''

Renegade Renegade or The Renegade may refer to: Aircraft *Lake Renegade, an American amphibious aircraft design *Murphy Renegade, a Canadian ultralight biplane design *Southern Aeronautical Renegade, an American racing aircraft design Games *''Command ...

'' (1994, TV series) as Jean Luc Leveaux * ''Silent Hunter'' (1995) as Sheriff Mantee * ''

'' (1996) as Frost * ''

'' (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 The fast track is an informal English term meaning "the quickest and most direct route to achievement of a goal, as in competing for professional advancement". By definition, it implies that a less direct, slower route also exists. Fast track or F ...

'' (1997–1998, TV series) as Lowell Carter * ''

Ride Ride may refer to: People * MC Ride, a member of Death Grips * Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut * William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicen ...

'' (1998) as Casper's Dream Dad * ''

Blackjack Blackjack (formerly Black Jack and Vingt-Un) is a casino banking game. The most widely played casino banking game in the world, it uses decks of 52 cards and descends from a global family of casino banking games known as Twenty-One. This fam ...

'' (1998, TV movie) as Tim Hastings * '' Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror'' (1998) as Sheriff Skaggs * ''

Psi Factor ''Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal'' is a Canadian science fiction drama television series which was filmed in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and aired 88 episodes over four seasons from 1996 to 2000. In 1996, Christopher Chacon an ...

'' (1998, TV series) as Fred Milton Di genova/Fred Milton Di Genova * '' Whatever It Takes'' (1998) as Paulie Salano * ''

Active Stealth ''Active Stealth'' is a 1999 American action film directed by Fred Olen Ray and starring Daniel Baldwin, Paul Michael Robinson, Joe Lala and Tim Abell. Premise Captain Murphy (Daniel Baldwin), an American fighter pilot, is sent on a mission to M ...

'' (2000) as Capt. Reynolds * '' Submerged'' (2000) as Captain Masters * ''

Down 'n Dirty ''Down 'n Dirty'' is an 2000 American action film directed by and starring Fred Williamson as Dakota Smith. It also stars Bubba Smith, Gary Busey, Tony Lo Bianco, Beverly Johnson, Randy J. Goodwin, David Carradine, and Charles Napier. Plot Da ...

'' (2000) as Dakota Smith * ''

The Jamie Foxx Show ''The Jamie Foxx Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on The WB from August 28, 1996, to January 14, 2001. The series stars Jamie Foxx, Garcelle Beauvais, Christopher B. Duncan, Ellia English, and Garrett Morris. Although the show was not ...

'' (2000, TV series) as Himself * ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'' (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 * ''

'' (2004) as Captain Doby * ''If Love Hadn't Left Me Lonely'' (2004) as Willie Brownlee Davis * ''

Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide ''Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide'' (sometimes shortened to ''Ned's Declassified'') is an American live action sitcom on Nickelodeon that debuted on the Nickelodeon Sunday night TEENick scheduling block on September 12, 2004. The serie ...

'' (2005, TV series) as Coach Stax * ''Transformed'' (2005) as The Hammer * ''

Spaced Out ''Spaced Out'' (known in French as ''Allô la Terre, ici les Martin'') is an animated series, co-produced by Alphanim Productions, Tooncan Productions and Cartoon Network Europe, in association with several other companies and television networ ...

'' (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 ''Knight Rider'' is an American entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of ''Knight Rider'' is its three television series: the original ''Knight Rider'' (1982–1986) and sequel series '' Team Knight Rider'' (1997–1998) ...

'' (2009, TV series) as DEA Director * ''

Pushing Daisies ''Pushing Daisies'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007, to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life ...

'' (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 ''Last Ounce of Courage'' is a 2012 American Christian Christmas drama film directed by Darrel Campbell and Kevin McAfee and starring Marshall R. Teague, Jennifer O'Neill, and Fred Williamson. It centers on the struggle of Bob Revere, a man dealin ...

'' (2012) as Warren Hammerschmidt * ''Dropping Evil'' (2012) as Commander Death Blood * ''

Comedy Bang! Bang! ''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' (formerly ''Comedy Death-Ray Radio'') is a weekly comedy audio podcast, which originally began airing as a radio show on May 1, 2009.A Special Thing Forums:Comedy Death-Ray Radio starts today! Popularly known as ''Humani ...

'' (2012-2015, TV series) as Chief/Dale's Boss * ''.357'' (2013) as Hammer * ''Billy Trigger'' (2014) as Pops * ''

Real Husbands of Hollywood ''Real Husbands of Hollywood'' (abbreviated ''RHOH'') is an American reality television parody that originally aired on BET from January 15, 2013 to December 13, 2016. A revival series produced for streaming service BET+ premiered on February ...

'' (2014-2016, TV series) as Jet Black * ''Atomic Eden'' (2015) as Stoker - The Leader * ''Check Point'' (2017) as Chester * ''

Being Mary Jane ''Being Mary Jane'' is an American drama television series created by Mara Brock Akil and starring Gabrielle Union, that debuted January 7, 2014 on BET. The 90-minute-pilot for the series aired on July 2, 2013. The series follows the professiona ...

'' (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 The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of US war veterans, who, as military service members fought in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign land, waters, or ...

'' (2019) as Abe Hawkins * ''Devil's Triangle'' (2021) as Pluto

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Williamson, Fred 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 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