Tyler James Williams

Early life

Williams was born in Westchester County, New York, and grew up in Yonkers, New York. Williams has two younger siblings, both of whom are also actors: Tyrel Jackson Williams (b. 1997) and Tylen Jacob Williams (b. 2001).

Career

Williams began his acting career at age 4. He later starred in Little Bill as the voice of Bobby, briefly replacing Devon Malik Beckford in 2000, and played himself (or an eponymous character, "Tyler") on the PBS series Sesame Street from 2000 to 2005. He rose to fame in September 2005 by playing the title character in the hit series Everybody Hates Chris, which finished in May 2009. He won a Young Artist Award in 2007 for his work on the show. He was also a guest star in Two for the Money, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and the show Hi-Jinks. In late 2009, Williams appeared in the second season of True Jackson, VP as True's love interest Justin "Lil' Shakespeare" Weber in the two-part episode "Flirting with Fame." In 2010, Williams voiced Jason Rusch in three episodes of Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

In 2012, Williams played the role of Owen in the series Go On. He also played the lead role of Cyrus DeBarge in the Disney Channel film Let It Shine alongside Coco Jones, Trevor Jackson, and Brandon Mychal Smith. Williams was also featured on nine songs on the film's soundtrack, showing off his rapping skills. The film premiered on June 15, 2012, and his songs "Don't Run Away", "Me and You", "Guardian Angel", "Let It Shine", and "Moment of Truth" all received airplay on Radio Disney. The videos were also played frequently on the Disney Channel. Williams also guest starred in the Disney XD series Lab Rats as a future version of Leo, the character played by his younger brother Tyrel Jackson Williams.

In 2014, Williams starred in Justin Simien's independent film Dear White People as Lionel Higgins, and was cast as the recurring character Noah on the television series The Walking Dead. In 2016, Williams played Russ "Monty" Montgomery in the Criminal Minds spin-off Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.

In 2019, Williams was cast as Jake in The Wedding Year, a teen romantic comedy film directed by Robert Luketic and starring Sarah Hyland, Jenna Dewan, Matt Shively, and Anna Camp.

In 2020, Williams played the role of Paul in The Argument. In 2021, he began playing the role of Gregory Eddie in the ABC mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary. At the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, Williams earned a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the role.

Personal life

Williams was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2017, after experiencing symptoms for three years. Since his diagnosis, he has undergone treatment, including multiple surgeries. His brother Tyrel also suffers from the same condition.

At the time of their coming out in 2023, both his brothers described Williams as a staunch and active ally of the LGBTQ+ community.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

Discography

• Let It Shine Soundtrack (2012)
• Me, My Brother, And A Mic (2015)

References

References

1. "Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search". google.com.
2. (February 17, 2022). "Tyler James Williams: From Child Actor to Hollywood Hunk + Nina Parker on 'Tamron Hall' {{!}} WATCH".
3. His mother, Angela Williams, is a counselor, and his father, Le'Roy Williams, is a teacher and retired police sergeant.[http://www.filmreference.com/film/94/Tyler-James-Williams.html Tyler James Williams] filmreference.com
4. [https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/tyler-james-williams/bio/193951 Tyler James Williams Biography]. Tvguide.com. Retrieved on June 18, 2012.
5. (July 2021). "Tyler James Williams: star of Everybody Hates Chris.". Ebony.
6. "Everybody Hates Chris".
7. J-14 Magazine. (May 6, 2013). "Natasha Bedingfield and Tyler James Williams Guest Star in New True Jackson, VP Movie!".
8. (August 28, 2009). "Comics Continuum by Rob Allstetter: Tuesday, August 25, 2009".
9. (January 28, 2015). "Tyler James Williams Cast in 'Criminal Minds' Spinoff".
10. (June 15, 2012). "Tyler James Williams Reveals His Musical Talents In Disney's 'Let It Shine'".
11. Walt Disney Records. (May 22, 2012). "Walt Disney Records' Let It Shine Soundtrack Boasts Songs By Coco Jones, Tyler James Williams And Other Stars From The Disney Channel Original Movie".
12. jaej. (September 6, 2017). "6 Fantastic Facts About Actor and Hip Hop Recording Artist, Tyler Williams".
13. (October 26, 2014). ""Dear White People" Actor Tyler James Williams Talks To BOSSIP About Race & Sexuality".
14. Lesley Goldberg. (September 24, 2014). "'Walking Dead' Adds 'Go On' Alum in New Mystery Role". The Hollywood Reporter.
15. (March 15, 2015). "'Walking Dead's' Latest Fatality: Savage Death Will "Rock" Glenn".
16. (March 27, 2015). "'Criminal Minds' Episode 10.19 Photos: Meet the FBI's International Unit".
17. Andreeva, Nellie. (January 28, 2015). "Tyler James Williams Cast In 'Criminal Minds' Spinoff".
18. "The Wedding Year".
19. (September 4, 2020). "'The Argument': Film Review".
20. (February 16, 2022). "'Abbott Elementary': Tyler James Williams Explains Moment He Knew Show Was a Hit".
21. (July 12, 2022). "Emmys 2022: The Complete Nominations List".
22. (December 1, 2018). "#myIBD: Tyler James Williams' Story".
23. Ballard, Jamie. (2023-12-31). "Tyler James Williams' 2 Brothers: All About Tyrel and Tylen". [[People (magazine).
24. Kaplan, Anna. (2023-06-06). "Tyler James Williams' brother says the way he handled his and his brother's coming out 'should be studied'". [[Today (American TV program).
25. "Tyler James Williams (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors.
26. N'Duka, Amanda. (May 29, 2018). "Tyler James Williams Joins Sarah Hyland In The Wedding Year".
27. Hipes, Patrick. (May 9, 2019). "Robert Schwartzman's The Argument Settled In Time For Cannes; Utopia Repping Sales".
28. Hammond, Pete. (February 20, 2021). "The United States Vs. Billie Holiday Review: Andra Day Soars In Lee Daniels' Compelling True Story Of Feds Targeting Of Great Singer".
29. Hermanns, Grant. (September 26, 2024). "Amber Alert Review: Claustrophobic Thriller Remake Is Narrowly Saved By Compelling Performances".
30. Andreeva, Nellie. (February 27, 2018). "Whiskey Cavalier: Tyler James Williams To Co-Star In ABC Pilot".
31. Thomas, Carly. (March 24, 2023). "Tyler James Williams Says 'Everybody Hates Chris' Producer Told Him He Would "Probably Never Work Again"".
32. Khosla, Proma. (February 9, 2025). "Tyler James Williams’ Directing Debut Was One of the Most Challenging ‘Abbott Elementary’ Episodes Ever". [[IndieWire]].
33. Williams, Tyler James. (January 14, 2026). "Mall Part 2: Questions & Concerns. Written by Chad Morton. Directed by yours truly. To my cast and crew - I couldn’t have done this without each and every one of you. I’m honored to work with the best in the business.".
34. Otterson, Joe. (October 7, 2022). "Harley Quinn Valentine's Day Special Ordered at HBO Max".
35. Rice, Lynette. (January 13, 2023). "History Of The World, Part II: Hulu Drops Official Trailer For Mel Brooks Sequel Series".
36. "It's All About Image - Image 9 from Everybody Loves Tyler James Williams".