Steven Williams

Williams was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and was predominantly reared in Chicago. His parents were divorced, and he was raised at separate times by his father in Michigan, his mother in Chicago and by his maternal grandparents in Millington, Tennessee. In Chicago, he attended Wendell Phillips High School. After graduating, he matriculated at the General Motors Institute, an automaker's engineering school.[https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-12-15-0212150244-story.html Chicago Tribune, Phillips High School is cradle of history , December 15, 2002].Retrieved November 18, 2019. Williams later worked as a postal carrier, salesman, and model.[http://www.filmreference.com/film/8/Steven-Williams.html Steven Williams Film Reference biography]{{Cite web|url=http://www.thegreatblackmusicproject.org/stevenwilliams.html|title=Steven Williams|website=www.thegreatblackmusicproject.org|access-date=2018-08-17}}

He was drafted into the United States Army, serving in the 2nd Armored Division, stationed in Gelnhausen, Germany and became Divisional Champion with the United States Army Boxing Team, Middleweight Division. Upon receiving an Honorable Discharge from the United States Army, Williams worked for the United States Postal Service as a mailman. After delivering the mail in subzero temperatures, he went to work in Chicago's garment district as an apparel salesman.

Williams made his acting debut in the 1975 film Cooley High. He appeared in musical comedy The Blues Brothers (1980) as Trooper Mount, and played Lt. Jefferson Burnett on the CBS drama series The Equalizer in 1985. He portrayed renegade Capt. David Nester in the 1985 film Missing in Action 2: The Beginning,{{cite news|last=Francis|first=Mark|date=March 8, 1985|title=Chuck Norris does good job in sequel|page=3|newspaper=Williamson Daily News}}

He landed the role of Captain Adam Fuller,{{cite news|last=Brennan|first=Patricia|date=December 13, 1987|title=Fox TV's '21 Jump Street' a heavy hit with teens|page=9C|newspaper=Boca Raton News}} a senior police officer supervising younger cops,{{cite news|last=Buck|first=Jerry|date=October 27, 1988|title=Steven Williams Is 'Father Figure' of '21 Jump Street'|page=3|newspaper=Schenectady Gazette}} on Fox Network's TV series 21 Jump Street in 1987.{{cite news|last=Werner|first=Laurie|date=November 11, 1988|title=Off duty in Key West|page=6|newspaper=Bangor Daily News}} Williams replaced Frederic Forrest, who played a similar character, early in the series. He continued playing the character until the series ended in 1991. While acting in the series, Williams played Lieutenant Gallagher in Under the Gun (1988), which featured Vanessa Williams in the cast.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kczcgHtgGfYC&dq=%22Steven+Williams%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA500|page=500|title=Frame by Frame II: A Filmography of the African American Image, 1978-1994|last1=Rauch Klotman|first1=Phyllis|last2=Gibson|first2=Gloria J.|date=1997|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=9780253211200}}

Following his stint on 21 Jump Street, Williams portrayed the title character in The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage.{{cite news|date=April 28, 1991|title=Celebrity Scoop|page=D14|newspaper=The Vindicator}} He played the role of Det. August Brooks on the TNT series L.A. Heat in 1996. He recurred as X on the Fox hit science fiction series The X-Files.{{cite book|last=Lowry|first=Brian|date=1995|title=The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files|publisher=Harper Prism|isbn=0-06-105330-9|page=76}} He earned a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 1997 for his work as X.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/patient-charts-top-noms-for-sag-awards-1117433123/|title='Patient' charts top noms for SAG Awards|last=Johnson|first=Ted|date=January 23, 1997|website=Variety|access-date=November 6, 2022}}

Williams appeared as main character Russell "Linc" Lincoln, a bartender,{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=asQDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Steven+Williams%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA62|pages=62−65|title=Pam Grier, Steven Williams And Georg Stanford Brown Star In Showtime Comedy Series 'Linc's'|date=August 3, 1998|magazine=Jet|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company}} in comedy Linc's.{{cite news|last=Olkon|first=Sara|date=August 3, 1998|title=Showtime's black 'Cheers'|page=C3|newspaper=The Free-Lance Star}} In 2000, he received an NAACP Image Award nomination, in the category of Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series.{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WVkEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Steven+Williams%22+actor+-wikipedia&pg=PA28-IA3|title=The 31st NAACP Image Awards Presents Image 2000: Visions for a New Millennium|magazine=The Crisis|publisher=National Association for the Advancement of Colored People|date=1999}} Concurrently, Williams portrayed Isaac in short-lived UPN series Legacy.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YX_daEhlnbsC&dq=%22Steven+Williams%22+actor+-wikipedia&pg=PA592|page=592|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 Through 2010|edition=2nd|last=Terrace|first=Vincent|date=January 10, 2014|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=9780786486410}}

He portrayed Rufus Turner in fantasy series Supernatural (2008−16),{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2016/03/23/supernatural-season-11-sneak-peek-bobby-rufus/|title=Supernatural: Bobby and Rufus reunite in exclusive sneak peek|last=Highfill|first=Samantha|date=March 23, 2016|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=November 5, 2022}} and was Quentin in drama The Chi (2018−present).{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/06/steven-williams-the-chi-alejandro-edda-cocaine-godmother-1202118676/|title=Steven Williams Joins 'The Chi'; Alejandro Edda In 'Cocaine Godmother'|date=June 23, 2017|website=Deadline|access-date=November 5, 2022}} Williams' work on the latter has been well received, with reviewers finding him "strong"{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/chi-review-1071384/|title='The Chi': TV Review|last=Goodman|first=Tim|date=January 4, 2018|website=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=November 5, 2022}} and "powerful"{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-chi-focuses-on-consequences-in-an-uneven-episode-1823315261|title=The Chi focuses on consequences in an uneven episode|last=Ray-Harris|first=Ashley|date=February 26, 2018|website=The A.V. Club|access-date=November 5, 2022}} as Quentin. Williams garnered several recurring roles in the 2010s and 2020s, including attorney Stephen Carlisle in Ambitions (2019){{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/12/ambitions-steven-williams-christina-kirkman-join-cast-own-will-packer-1202513374/|title='Ambitions': Steven Williams & Christina Kirkman Join Will Packer's OWN Drama Series|last=Pedersen|first=Erik|date=December 4, 2018|website=Deadline|access-date=November 5, 2022}} and teacher Joe Ridgeway in Locke & Key (2020),{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/01/locke-key-griffin-gluck-cast-series-regular-steven-williams-recur-netflix-series-1202542117/|title='Locke & Key': Griffin Gluck Cast As Regular, Steven Williams To Recur In Netflix Series|last=Petski|first=Denise|date=January 25, 2019|website=Deadline|access-date=November 5, 2022}} both dramas.

Williams has appeared extensively in guest roles on television. He portrayed an Army friend of the protagonist in MacGyver,{{cite news|last=Zuckerman|first=Faye B.|date=September 8, 1986|title=Actors brighten bio of Eugene O'Neill|page=B5|newspaper=Spokane Chronicle}} and was Robin Dumars' father on Hangin' with Mr. Cooper.{{cite news|date=January 5, 1993|title=Tonight's Other Highlights|page=7A|newspaper=The Item}} Other guest appearances include The Dukes of Hazzard, The A-Team, Booker, Stargate SG-1, Martin, Veronica Mars, The Bernie Mac Show, Criminal Minds and iZombie.

Other film roles include a bar patron in Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983),{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/24/movies/twilight-zone-is-adapted-to-the-big-screen.html|title='TWILIGHT ZONE' IS ADAPTED TO THE BIG SCREEN|last=Canby|first=Vincent|date=June 24, 1983|website=The New York Times|access-date=November 5, 2022|author-link=Vincent Canby}} bounty hunter Creighton Duke in horror film Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993){{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/14/movies/review-film-jason-s-end-you-gotta-have-heart.html|title=Review/Film; Jason's End? You Gotta Have Heart|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=August 14, 1993|website=The New York Times|access-date=November 5, 2022|author-link=Stephen Holden}} and Carlos in Adventures of Power (2009).{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/movies/09adventures.html|title=Playing Drums That Aren't There|last=Genzlinger|first=Neil|date=October 8, 2009|website=The New York Times|access-date=November 5, 2022|author-link=Neil Genzlinger}} In TV movies, Williams was a Panamanian boat captain named Mo in Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story (1986){{cite news|date=November 15, 1986|title=Robertson Stars As Gold Hunter|page=9C|newspaper=Ocala Star-Banner|last=Flander|first=Judy}} and portrayed pitcher Satchel Paige in The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson (1990).{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/15/arts/review-television-2-cable-movies-of-substance.html|title=Review/Television; 2 Cable Movies of Substance|last=O'Connor|first=John J.|author-link=John J. O'Connor (journalist)|date=October 16, 1990|website=The New York Times|access-date=November 5, 2022}}

He was previously married to talent agent Ann Geddes. He has two daughters and six grandchildren. His eldest granddaughter is an artist based in Chicago and Los Angeles.

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• {{IMDb name|0931736|Steven Williams}}

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Category:1949 births

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Tennessee

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:Actors from Memphis, Tennessee

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:20th-century African-American male actors

Category:21st-century African-American male actors