Nathan Hale Williams
Encyclopedia
Nathan Hale Williams is an American
film producer
, television producer
, and entertainment attorney. He is also an actor and former model
.
, Illinois
, Williams began appearing in regional theatrical productions, tours, commercials and television shows at the age of eight. A classically trained dancer, Williams continued to perform and study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
. After graduation, he attended The George Washington University Law School
where he was the president of the Student Bar Association
, a Dean’s Fellow and the recipient of the GW Law Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Scholarship and Leadership.
, which was released in theaters nationwide in December 2007. In 2008, Dirty Laundry was nominated for an NAACP Image Award
and a GLAAD Award. In 2006, Dirty Laundry took the top two honors, Best Picture and Best Actor (Loretta Devine
), at the American Black Film Festival
. In 2004, Williams produced and starred in the award-winning film, The Ski Trip
. The Ski Trip was Logo's
first original motion picture when the network debuted in 2005 and has since become the most widely seen film of its kind. Currently, Nathan is in pre-production for his next feature film, Homecourt Advantage, based on the best-selling novel of the same name written by his producing partner, Crystal McCrary Anthony and Rita Ewing. Anthony and Williams adapted the screenplay and are set to shoot summer 2010.
For television, Williams is the creator and executive producer of My Model Looks Better Than Your Model, hosted by America’s Next Top Model winner Eva Marcille Pigford. As well, he is the executive producer of Leading Men and Leading Women (formerly Real Life Divas). Leading Women was nominated for a 2010 NAACP Image Award
for Outstanding Television Series – News/Information. In 2009, Williams produced and directed a three-part Black History Month documentary series, INSIDE: Black Culture. He also directed and produced commercials for Isabella Fiore Handbags (starring Veronica Webb
) and Jumpstart (starring LL Cool J
).
As a personality/actor, Williams has appeared on Showtime’s American Candidate, The Guiding Light, My Two Cents and The Bev Smith Show. He has been featured in Black Enterprise
, Crain’s, Ebony
, Jet
, the Chicago Tribune
, The Advocate
, the New York Blade, Clik Magazine, Pulse!
, Bleu
, UneQ, the Chicago Defender
and several online publications. In November 2007, Nathan graced the cover of NEXT Magazine
, which is the most widely circulated weekly LGBT publication in the world. In addition, Williams and his projects have been featured in Variety
, the Hollywood Reporter, the New York Times, the LA Times, Essence Magazine, LA Weekly
and HX Magazine. Williams co-stars in the Sundance Channel reality series Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys
which debuted in December 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, and entertainment attorney. He is also an actor and former model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
.
Early life and education
Born and raised in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Williams began appearing in regional theatrical productions, tours, commercials and television shows at the age of eight. A classically trained dancer, Williams continued to perform and study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. After graduation, he attended The George Washington University Law School
The George Washington University Law School
The George Washington University Law School, commonly referred to as GW Law, is the law school of The George Washington University. It was founded in 1825 and is the oldest law school in Washington, D.C. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a charter member of the...
where he was the president of the Student Bar Association
Student Bar Association
Student bar associations are student organizations that exist at many laws schools in the United States. Student bar associations take their name from bar associations, which are professional bodies of lawyers....
, a Dean’s Fellow and the recipient of the GW Law Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Scholarship and Leadership.
Career
Williams is the executive producer and producer of the film, Dirty LaundryDirty 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:...
, which was released in theaters nationwide in December 2007. In 2008, Dirty Laundry was nominated for an NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
and a GLAAD Award. In 2006, Dirty Laundry took the top two honors, Best Picture and Best Actor (Loretta Devine
Loretta Devine
Loretta Devine is an American stage, film and television actress known for her roles on Boston Public, Grey's Anatomy, and Eli Stone. She also provided her voice for the stop motion animated television series The PJs. Devine is a NAACP Image Award and Emmy award winning actress.-Early life:Devine...
), at the American Black Film Festival
American Black Film Festival
The American Black Film Festival is an independent film festival that focuses primarily on works by Black members of the film industry. It has been called “the nation’s most prominent film festival.” The festival is held annually and features full-length narratives, short films, mobile...
. In 2004, Williams produced and starred in the award-winning film, The Ski Trip
The Ski Trip
The Ski Trip is a 2004 LGBT independent romantic comedy movie written and directed by openly gay entertainer Maurice Jamal. It stars Maurice Jamal, Daren Fleming, Cassandra Cruz, Haaz Sleiman, Emanuel Xavier and Nathan Hale. It was rated R by the MPAA for sexual content and language...
. The Ski Trip was Logo's
Logo (TV channel)
Logo is an American digital cable television channel owned by Viacom's MTV Networks division. Launched in June 2005, the channel's programs are geared towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community...
first original motion picture when the network debuted in 2005 and has since become the most widely seen film of its kind. Currently, Nathan is in pre-production for his next feature film, Homecourt Advantage, based on the best-selling novel of the same name written by his producing partner, Crystal McCrary Anthony and Rita Ewing. Anthony and Williams adapted the screenplay and are set to shoot summer 2010.
For television, Williams is the creator and executive producer of My Model Looks Better Than Your Model, hosted by America’s Next Top Model winner Eva Marcille Pigford. As well, he is the executive producer of Leading Men and Leading Women (formerly Real Life Divas). Leading Women was nominated for a 2010 NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
for Outstanding Television Series – News/Information. In 2009, Williams produced and directed a three-part Black History Month documentary series, INSIDE: Black Culture. He also directed and produced commercials for Isabella Fiore Handbags (starring Veronica Webb
Veronica Webb
Veronica Webb is an American model, actress, writer, journalist and television personality. Webb was the first African-American to have a major cosmetics contract...
) and Jumpstart (starring LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
).
As a personality/actor, Williams has appeared on Showtime’s American Candidate, The Guiding Light, My Two Cents and The Bev Smith Show. He has been featured in Black Enterprise
Black Enterprise
Black Enterprise is a monthly U.S. magazine which describes itself as "the premier business news and investment resource for African Americans" and claims a readership of 3.7 million. It was founded in 1970 by Earl G. Graves, Sr.. The publication is known for its annual listing of the largest...
, Crain’s, Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
, Jet
Jet (magazine)
Jet is an American weekly marketed toward African-American readers, founded in 1951 by John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois...
, the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, The Advocate
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
, the New York Blade, Clik Magazine, Pulse!
Pulse!
Pulse! was a tabloid magazine published by Tower Records which contained record reviews, interviews and advertising. Initially, it was given away free in their stores to promote their record sales. After nine years, in 1992, the magazine began national distribution with a cover price of $2.95,...
, Bleu
Bleu
bleu or BLEU may refer to:* the French word for blue* Three Colors: Blue, a 1993 movie* Bilingual Evaluation Understudy, a machine translation evaluation metric* Belgium–Luxembourg Economic Union...
, UneQ, the Chicago Defender
Chicago Defender
The Chicago Defender is a Chicago based newspaper founded in 1905 by an African American for primarily African American readers.In just three years from 1919–1922 the Defender also attracted the writing talents of Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks....
and several online publications. In November 2007, Nathan graced the cover of NEXT Magazine
Next Magazine
Next Magazine is a Chinese weekly magazine, published in Hong Kong and Taiwan with different versions. Owned by Jimmy Lai , both magazines are the number one news magazines in both markets in terms of audited circulation and AC Nielsen reports...
, which is the most widely circulated weekly LGBT publication in the world. In addition, Williams and his projects have been featured in Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, the Hollywood Reporter, the New York Times, the LA Times, Essence Magazine, LA Weekly
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
and HX Magazine. Williams co-stars in the Sundance Channel reality series Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys
Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys
Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys is an American reality television series. Each season follows the lives of four gay men and their female best friends. The series debuted on the Sundance Channel on December 7, 2010. World of Wonder produces Girls...
which debuted in December 2010.