Mykelti Williamson

Michael T. "Mykelti" Williamson (born March 4, 1957) is an American actor best known for his role as Benjamin Buford (Bubba) Blue in the 1994 film Forrest Gump, as Detective Bobby "Fearless" Smith in the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful crime drama Boomtown, as Baby-O in the 1997 film Con Air, as Brian Hastings, Director of CTU New York, for Season 8, the final season of the hit TV series 24, and recently as Ellstin Limehouse in the critically acclaimed Justified. --- Williamson was born on March 4, 1957 in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the son of Elaine, a certified public accountant, and a father who was an Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer. Williamson began performing at the age of nine. Along with acting, he also danced as an alternate member of The Lockers troupe on Soul Train along with Fred Berry (star of TV sitcom What's Happening!!). At age nine, Williamson relocated to Los Angeles with his family. While in high school he excelled in athletics, particularly football and basketball. However, acting was his first love and he pursued sports no farther than high school. Williamson studied television/film at Los Angeles City College. He audited acting classes at USC under the tutelage of Dr. Frank X. Ford. Williamson later transferred to Gene Evans Motion Picture School in San Jose and earned his certificate in Cinematography/ Film Production. --- Williamson began acting professionally as a child. His first TV appearances include "The Righteous Apples", Starsky and Hutch, Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, China Beach, and Midnight Caller. His film debut was in Streets of Fire (1984). His credits include Wildcats (1986) with Goldie Hawn, Miracle Mile (1989), The First Power (1990) with Lou Diamond Phillips, Free Willy (1993), Forrest Gump (1994) Waiting to Exhale (1995), Heat (1995), Con Air (1997), Truth or Consequences, N.M. (1997), "12 Angry Men (1998), "Three Kings (1999), Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (1999), Black Dynamite (2009) and The Final Destination (2009). Williamson is best known as Private Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue in the Academy Award-winning 1994 film Forrest Gump. He also received favorable reviews when he played Negro League baseball player Josh Gibson in the HBO film Soul of the Game (1996). --- Williamson was married to Miami Vice star Olivia Brown from July 2, 1983 - 1985. He later married Cheryl Chisholm in 1989 with whom he had his first child, Phoenix. He has been married to Sondra Spriggs since April 26, 1997; together they have two daughters, Nicole and Maya. In 1998, he was arrested for stabbing his ex-wife Cheryl Chisholm's partner Leroy Edwards. He was acquitted of attempted manslaughter but, in his own words, "I lost my home, which I sold to pay my lawyers, my car and basically lost my career," He appeared with Sondra Spriggs in the 1998 film Species II. The two were married during the filming of TNT's production of Buffalo Soldiers.