Biography
After more than a decade in the business, hard-working actor Mykelti Williamson achieved true fame as
Tom Hanks' army buddy in
Forrest Gump (1994). Born in St. Louis, Williamson and his family moved frequently during his childhood, finally settling in Los Angeles when he was 15. After studying acting in high school, Williamson landed a recurring role on
Hill Street Blues in 1983. Working steadily in TV and movies throughout the 1980s, Williamson appeared in a number of films, including
Walter Hill's
Streets of Fire (1984); the pilot movie for the stylish cop series
Miami Vice (1984); and the
Goldie Hawn football comedy
Wildcats (1986). By the 1990s, Williamson added a bona fide sleeper hit to his credits with his role as a paternal cop in
Free Willy (1993). His transformative performance as Forrest's ill-fated shrimp-loving friend Bubba in the blockbuster, 1994 Best Picture winner
Forrest Gump then earned Williamson critical raves, propelling him into a varied range of high-profile films. After appearing in
Free Willy 2 (1995) and playing a small but attention-getting role as one of
Lela Rochon's unworthy suitors in
Waiting to Exhale (1995), Williamson joined forces with
Al Pacino in
Michael Mann's
Heat (1995). Continuing to work in TV as well, Williamson acted in several series, co-starred as Negro League baseball player Josh Gibson in the well-received TV film The Soul of the Game (1996), played a black cavalryman in the TNT Western
Buffalo Soldiers (1997), and joined the prestigious ensemble cast of
12 Angry Men (1997). Williamson continued to ride high as
Nicolas Cage's ill cell mate in the summer blockbuster
Con Air (1997), but his 1998 movie work in
Primary Colors and Species 2 was personally overshadowed by his legal troubles when he was arrested for stalking his ex-wife and stabbing her friend. Acquitted of the charges, Williamson returned to form with a blistering performance as an Army colonel in David O. Russell's critically lauded
Three Kings (1999). Williamson reprised his role as Lt. Gerard in the second TV series version of
The Fugitive(2000). Despite pre-season hype and the prior success of other
Fugitives, the series lasted only one season. Williamson then made another onscreen splash when he reunited with
Heat director
Michael Mann to appear as the flamboyant, shock-haired boxing impresario Don King in Mann's ambitious biopic
Ali (2001). Williamson is married and has three daughters. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide