Cress Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cress Williams
Williams at San Diego Comic-Con in 2017
Born	(1970-07-26) July 26, 1970 (age 54) Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Education	Fullerton College University of California, Los Angeles (BA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1990–present
Spouse(s)	Simbi Khali ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2011)​ Kristen Torrianni ​ ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	4

Cress Williams (born July 26, 1970) is an American actor. He is well-known for his roles in popular TV shows like Prison Break and Close to Home. More recently, he played Mayor Lavon Hayes in Hart of Dixie. He also starred as the main character, Black Lightning, in The CW's superhero series Black Lightning. You might also remember him as Terrence "Scooter" Williams on Living Single or Inspector Antwon Babcock on Nash Bridges.

Cress Williams: An Actor's Journey

Early Life and Learning

Cress Williams was born in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany. His parents were American. He went to Fullerton College for some courses. Later, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre from the University of California, Los Angeles. This means he studied acting and drama at a university.

Cress Williams' Acting Career

Cress Williams started acting in college plays. In 1990, he performed in a play called Othello by William Shakespeare. He also acted in another play that year called Red Noses.

Since 1994, Williams has appeared in many TV shows. Some of these include Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Beverly Hills, 90210, and ER. He was even in the first try-out episode for the show Will & Grace. However, his character was later removed from the show.

Famous TV Roles

Cress Williams joined the cast of Prison Break as Wyatt Mathewson. This character was an assassin for a powerful group called "The Company." He also appeared in the last season of Friday Night Lights. In that show, he played Ornette Howard, who was the father of a star football player.

From 2011 to 2015, Williams starred with Rachel Bilson in The CW series Hart of Dixie. He played Lavon Hayes, a former football star who became the mayor of a small town.

Becoming a Superhero: Black Lightning

From 2018 to 2021, Cress Williams took on a big role in the world of DC Comics. He played Jefferson Pierce / Black Lightning in The CW's superhero TV series Black Lightning. This show was even connected to other superhero shows like The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow through events like "Crisis on Infinite Earths."

He also voiced John Henry Irons in two animated movies: The Death of Superman (2018) and Reign of the Supermen (2019). After Black Lightning ended, he played the character again in The Flash during a special event called "Armageddon."

Life Outside Acting

Cress Williams has been married twice. On October 14, 2000, he married actress Simbi Khali. They had two children together. They later divorced in 2011. In June 2013, Williams married his girlfriend, Kristen Torrianni. They also have two children together. In total, Cress Williams has four children.

Movies and TV Shows

Cress Williams has been in many movies and television shows. Here are some of them:

Film and TV Movies

Television Series