Gregory Alan Williams is an American actor

Actor

An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

 and author

Author

An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

. Williams is best known for portraying Garner Ellerbee in the syndicated series Baywatch

Baywatch

Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...

.

Early life and acting career

Born in Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...

, Williams attended Coe College

Coe College

Coe College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1851, the institution is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Its current president is James R. Phifer. It is one of the smaller universities to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa...

 and served in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

 before pursuing a career in acting. He made his acting debut opposite Steven Seagal

Steven Seagal

Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...

 in the 1988 film Above the Law

Above the Law (film)

Above the Law is a 1988 action film directed by Andrew Davis, probably best-known for being the film debut of Steven Seagal. This came about after a successful screen test, financed by Michael Ovitz, led to Seagal being offered a contract by Warner Bros...

. The following year, Williams won the role of Garner Ellerbee in Baywatch. He reprised the role in the 1995 spin-off series Baywatch Nights

Baywatch Nights

Baywatch Nights was an American police and science fiction drama series that aired in syndication from 1995 to 1997. Created by Douglas Schwartz, David Hasselhoff, and Gregory J. Bonann, the series is a spin-off from the popular television series, Baywatch.-Synopsis:The original premise of the show...

, before returning to Baywatch in 1996. After leaving the series in 1998, Williams has had recurring guest roles on The Sopranos

The Sopranos

The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...

, The West Wing, The District

The District

The District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s Police Department .-Premise:...

, The Game, Army Wives

Army Wives

Army Wives is an American drama series that follows the lives of four army wives, their families, and an army husband whose wife is in the army. The series, shot at ABC Studios, premiered on Lifetime on June 3, 2007...

, and Drop Dead Diva

Drop Dead Diva

Drop Dead Diva is an American legal comedy-drama/fantasy television series that debuted on Lifetime on July 12, 2009. The hour-long series, which was created by Josh Berman, is produced by Sony Pictures Television...

. Additionally, he has guest starred in episodes of NYPD Blue

NYPD Blue

NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...

, Boston Legal

Boston Legal

Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...

, One Tree Hill

One Tree Hill (TV series)

One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...

, and Meet the Browns

Meet the Browns (TV series)

Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns is an American sitcom created and produced by playwright, director, and producer Tyler Perry. The show revolves around a senior family living under one roof in Decatur, Georgia led by patriarch Mr. Brown and his daughter Cora Simmons. The show premiered on Wednesday,...

.

Williams has also had roles in several films including Remember the Titans

Remember the Titans

Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the...

(2000), Old School

Old School (film)

Old School is a 2003 American comedy film released by DreamWorks SKG and directed by Todd Phillips, director of the documentary Frat House. The story was written by Court Crandall, and the film was written by Phillips and Scot Armstrong...

(2003), Be Cool

Be Cool

Be Cool is a 2005 crime-comedy film adapted from Elmore Leonard's 1999 novel of the same name and the sequel to Leonard's 1990 novel Get Shorty about mobster Chili Palmer's entrance into the film industry.The film adaptation of Be Cool began production in 2003. It was directed by F...

(2005), Dog Days of Summer

Dog Days of Summer (film)

Dog Days of Summer is a 2008 American independent feature film directed by Mark Freiburger and shot on location in Edenton, North Carolina. It is based on an original screenplay by screenwriters Travis Beacham and Christopher J. Waild....

(2007), Oliver Stone

Oliver Stone

William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...

's biopic W. (2008), The Collector

The Collector (2009 film)

The Collector is a 2009 American horror film written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton and directed by Marcus Dunstan. Originally titled The Midnight Man, the script was originally intended to be a Saw prequel, but the producers were against the idea and quickly dismissed it.-Plot:Arkin, is an...

(2009), and MacGruber

MacGruber (film)

MacGruber is a 2010 American action comedy film based on the Saturday Night Live sketch of the same name, itself a parody of action-adventure television series MacGyver. The film stars Will Forte in the title role; Kristen Wiig as his love interest/partner, Vicki St...

(2010).

Williams also serves as the host of the syndicated series Know Your Heritage and Know Your Heritage: Black College Quiz.

Writing

In addition to acting, Williams has authored four books including A Gathering of Heroes: Reflections on Rage and Responsibility : A Memoir of the Los Angeles Riots. The book chronicles Williams' life and experiences with racism, along with an incident during the 1992 Los Angeles riots

1992 Los Angeles riots

The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...

 in which Williams saved the life of a Japanese American

Japanese American

are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...

 man who was being beaten by rioters.

Selected filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1988	Above the Law Above the Law (film) Above the Law is a 1988 action film directed by Andrew Davis, probably best-known for being the film debut of Steven Seagal. This came about after a successful screen test, financed by Michael Ovitz, led to Seagal being offered a contract by Warner Bros...	FBI Agent Halloran	Credited as Gregory Alan-Williams
1989	Major League Major League (film) Major League is a 1989 American satire comedy film written and directed by David S. Ward, starring Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, James Gammon, and Corbin Bernsen. Made for US$11 million, Major League grossed nearly US$50 million in domestic release...	Bull Pen Guard
1989	The Package	Colonel Woods
1989 to 1998	Baywatch Baywatch Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...	Garner Ellerbee	110 episodes
1990 to 1991	Hunter	Officer Peter Hawkins	2 episodes
1991	The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...	Security Guard	Episode: "Young and the Restless"
1991	Roc Roc (TV series) Roc is an American comedy-drama television series which ran on Fox from August 1991 to May 1994. The series stars Charles S. Dutton as Baltimore garbage collector Roc Emerson and Ella Joyce as his wife Eleanor.-Early episodes:...	Albert	Episode: "Requiem for a Garbage Man"
1992 to 1994	Dream On Dream On (TV series) Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about single New Yorker, Martin Tupper. The show used a gimmick where old black and white clips were used to punctuate the main character's feelings or thoughts...	Anchorman	4 episodes
1993	In the Line of Fire In the Line of Fire In the Line of Fire is a 1993 American thriller film about a disillusioned and obsessed former CIA agent who attempts to assassinate the President of the United States and the Secret Service agent who tracks him...	Secret Service Agent Matt Wilder	Credited as Greg Alan-Williams
1994	L.A. Law L.A. Law L.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...	Ellis Cole	Episode: "Silence Is Golden"
1995	Living Single Living Single Living Single is an American television sitcom which aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 29, 1993 to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who share personal and professional experiences while living in a Brooklyn brownstone.Throughout its run, Living...	Darren	Episode: "The Ex-File"
1995	The Parent 'Hood The Parent 'Hood The Parent 'Hood is an American sitcom that aired on The WB airing from January 18, 1995 to July 25, 1999. The series starred Robert Townsend and Suzzanne Douglas....	Coach Vanderpool	Episode: "Track Dreams"
1995 to 1997	Baywatch Nights Baywatch Nights Baywatch Nights was an American police and science fiction drama series that aired in syndication from 1995 to 1997. Created by Douglas Schwartz, David Hasselhoff, and Gregory J. Bonann, the series is a spin-off from the popular television series, Baywatch.-Synopsis:The original premise of the show...	Garner Ellerbee	19 episodes
1996	No One Would Tell No One Would Tell No One Would Tell is a 1996 television film directed by Noel Nosseck from an original script by Steven Loring. The film is based on the true story of Jamie Fuller, a 16-year-old high school student who murdered his 14-year-old girlfriend Amy Carnevale on August 23, 1991...	Detective Anderson	Television movie
1996	Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...	Lt. Paul Bragg	Episode: "Mrs. Parker's Revenge"
1997	Dying to Belong Dying to Belong Dying to Belong is a 1997 television film directed by William A. Graham.- Plot :Lisa Connors, an Anders University freshman, has big hopes of a job at the university newspaper. Her ambitious mother, Gwen, suggests Lisa should join a sorority, Pi Gamma Beta , as she herself had great fun...	Carl Ridgeley	Television movie
1997	Stag Stag (film) Stag is a 1997 film, directed by Gavin Wilding, made for HBO and later released theatrically after drawing large ratings. STAG features an ensemble cast including Ben Gazzara, Andrew McCarthy, Taylor Dayne, Mario Van Peebles, Lawrence Leritz, William McNamara, John Henson, Kevin Dillon, and Jerry...	Taylor Rundgren	Credited as GregAlan Williams
1998	Mama Flora's Family Mama Flora's Family Mama Flora's Family is a novel by Alex Haley. The story begins with Flora, a daughter of poor black sharecroppers at her home in Mississippi...	Charlie (1941)	Television movie
2000	Remember the Titans Remember the Titans Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the...	Coach Paul "Doc" Hines
2000	City of Angels	Dr. Nate Ambrose	5 episodes
2000 to 2001	The Sopranos The Sopranos The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...	Reverend James, Jr.	3 episodes
2001 to 2003	The District The District The District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s Police Department .-Premise:...	Clive Rogers	13 episodes
2003	The Beat The Beat (2003 film) The Beat is a 2003 drama written and directed by Brandon Sonnier and was screened at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. At 20 years of age, Sonnier was the youngest director to have a feature film debut at the Sundance Film Festival. The previous record was held by Robert Rodriguez for El Mariachi...	Mr. Bernard
2004	The Practice The Practice The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...	District Attorney	Episode: "Comings and Goings"
2005	Monk Monk (TV series) Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...	Sorenson	Episode: "Mr. Monk and Mrs. Monk"
2006	Dirty Laundry Dirty Laundry (film) Dirty Laundry is a 2007 drama film written, directed, and starring Maurice Jamal. It was produced by 20th Century Fox and distributed by Codeblack Entertainment. It is available on DVD and is rated PG-13.-Plot summary:...	Percy
2006 to 2009	The Game	Dr. James Barnett	4 episodes
2007	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...	Detective Folkner	Episode: "Philadelphia"
2008	Mutant Vampire Zombies from the 'Hood!	Dr. Reginald Monte
2009	The Collector The Collector (2009 film) The Collector is a 2009 American horror film written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton and directed by Marcus Dunstan. Originally titled The Midnight Man, the script was originally intended to be a Saw prequel, but the producers were against the idea and quickly dismissed it.-Plot:Arkin, is an...	Sheriff
2009 to 2011	Drop Dead Diva Drop Dead Diva Drop Dead Diva is an American legal comedy-drama/fantasy television series that debuted on Lifetime on July 12, 2009. The hour-long series, which was created by Josh Berman, is produced by Sony Pictures Television...	Judge Warren Libby	7 episodes
2010	Preacher's Kid Preacher's Kid (film) Preacher's Kid is a 2010 Christian film directed by Stan Foster, loosely based on the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Original songs and score are composed by recording artist and music producer Tim Miner. The film was written and directed by Stan Foster, and stars LeToya Luckett, Gregory Alan...	Bishop King
2010	Blood Done Sign My Name	Dr. Samuel Proctor
2010	Past Life Past Life (TV series) Past Life is an American crime drama television series which aired on Fox from February 9, 2010 to June 4, 2010. The series premiered on Tuesday, February 9 at 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central...	Eli Parson	2 episodes
2011	Castle Castle (TV series) Castle is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on ABC on March 9, 2009. The series is produced by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios. On January 10, 2011, Castle was renewed for a fourth season...	Jim Van-Eps	Episode: "Lucky Stiff"
2011	Necessary Roughness Necessary Roughness (TV series) Necessary Roughness is a USA Network television series starring Callie Thorne and Marc Blucas. The one-hour drama series was picked up for 12 episodes on January 19, 2011...	Coach Purnell	recurring role

External links