Fred Williamson

At 86 years old, Fred Williamson has this physical status:

Frederick Robert Williamson (born March 5, 1938), also known as The Hammer, is an American actor and former American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.

Williamson is perhaps best known for his film career, appearing as Tommy Gibbs in the 1973 crime drama Black Caesar and its sequel Hell Up in Harlem.

Williamson appeared in other 1970s blaxploitation films, including Hammer (1972), That Man Bolt (1973) and Three the Hard Way (1974).

Early life and education

Williamson, a welder and Lydia Williamson, was born in Gary, Indiana. Williamson played track and football at Froebel High School. He graduated in 1956. Williamson left Gary, Illinois, to attend Northwestern University on a football scholarship after high school.

Personal life

Williamson has been married twice. Ginette Lavonda was his first wife from 1960 to 1967. Williamson has been married to Linda Williamson since 1988. Williamson has at least three children, but several sources claim he has at least six children, but at least six. Williamson has black belts in Kenp, Shotokan karate, and taekwondo. Williamson has had a home in Palm Springs, California, since 1997.

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Career

Williamson was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent after playing college football for Northwestern in the late 1950s. His attitude about the switch prompted him to play his position with too much aggression, and the 49ers' coach ordered him to avoid "hammering" his players during training camp. "The Hammer" became his nickname quickly and became his name.

In 1960, Williamson played for the Steelers for one year in the National Football League. He then moved to the new American Football League. Williamson spent four seasons with the Oakland Raiders in the AFL, making the AFL All-Star team in 1961, 1962, and 1963. He spent three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs in AFL. Williamson was one of football's first self-promoters, earning the nickname "The Hammer" because he struck karate-style blows to the heads of opposing players, especially wide receivers during his time with the Chiefs. Williamson made national news by announcing that he would knock the Green Bay Packers starting receivers, Carroll Dale and Boyd Dowler, out of the game before Super Bowl I. "Two hammers to Dowler, one to Dale should be enough," he said.

His prediction came 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, resulting in a 35-10 loss. Donny Anderson, the Packers' running back, was kneeled by Williamson's head. When Sherrill Headrick, the Chiefs' linebacker, collapsed on Williamson, he sustained a fractured arm from his own teammate. Williamson's eight-season pro football career began in 1967 with many tough tackles, passes that were taken away, and 36 pass interceptions in 104 games. Williamson intercepted his interceptions for 479 yards and two touchdowns. Williamson retired after being signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League during the 1968 season but not having played in a league match.

Williamson became known as a movie star running back Jim Brown in the mold. Brown appeared in films including "Take a Hard Ride (1974), One Down, Two to Go (1982), and On the Edge (2006). Williamson has appeared on television for various shows. Williamson posed nude for Playgirl magazine in October 1973, preempting Brown's appearance in 1974. Williamson's early television appearances included a role in the original Star Trek episode "The Cloud Minders" (1969), in which he appeared in Anka. In the sitcom Julia, Diahann Carroll portrayed Diahann Carroll's love interest. Williamson said he was made for Julia after he told the producers that the Black community was furious that Julia had a different boyfriend every week in an interview for Bronx Warriors.

Williamson's early film appearances included appearances in M*A*S*H (1970) and Tell Me That You Love Me (1970). In The Legend of Nigger Charley (1972), he depicted an escaped slave fleeing westward. In the film Black Caesar (1973) and its sequel, Hell Up in Harlem (also 1973), he appeared as an African-American gangster. In 1975 western film Boss Nigger, where he appeared in the title role, Williamson appeared in Boss Nigger, which also played the title role. He appeared in numerous films after this, the bulk of which are thought to be of the "blaxploitation" genre. In the film Crazy Joe (1974), Williamson appeared alongside Peter Boyle and Eli Wallach. On Monday Night Football, Williamson was selected by the ABC television network as a commentator to replace Don Meredith, who had left to pursue an acting and broadcasting career at rival network NBC. Williamson appeared on a few pre-season broadcasts, but ABC quickly declared him unsuitable. He was deprived of his duties at the start of the regular season, becoming the first MNF personality not to play for a season. Alex Karras, a fellow Gary, Indiana, native, was recalled.

Williamson appeared in the short-lived series Half Nelson (1985). Williamson was often seen on television as a spokesman for King Cobra malt whisky from the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s." Martin Kove, a fellow actor/martial artist, was among the many "martial artists" on the show. Williamson, as well as other black actors from the 'Blaxploitation' movie period (namely Antonio Fargas, Pam Grier, Rudy Ray Moore, and Ron O'Neal), made a cameo appearance on Snoop Doggy Dogg World's music video "Doggy Dogg World," where he appears as himself in 1994, where he appears as himself on his pro-football nickname "The Hammer." Williamson appeared in From Dusk to Dawn (1996), directed by Robert Rodriguez, and starred George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino. He appeared in The Inglorious Bastards (1978), which would later inspire Tarantino's 2009 film of a similar name.

Williamson has continued his work as an actor and producer into the 21st century, appearing in the reboot film Starsky & Hutch (2004), which was based on the 1970s television series.

Williamson has worked as a director and producer since the 1970s. Boss Nigger (1975), his first film as producer, was in which he also appeared. Mean Johnny Barrows (1976), a predecessor to the Rambo films that similarly featured a violent Vietnam Vet plot (though the book First Blood on which the film First Blood was based was written in 1972). He has since directed over 20 films. Williamson left Rome, Italy, and formed Po' Boy Productions, which began producing actioners like Adios Amigo (1976) and Death Journey (1976), both of which appeared and were directed by Williamson. Despite the fact that Williamson's most recent efforts as director and producer have mainly been direct-to-video, the filmmaker and producer's role has remained a prolific film maker.

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