Eric Monte facts for kids

Eric Monte (born Kenneth Williams; December 25, 1943) is an American writer and TV show creator. He is known for writing stories about African-American culture in the 1970s.

Eric Monte helped create and write several popular TV shows. These include Good Times (which he created with Mike Evans), What's Happening!!, and its follow-up show, What's Happening Now!!. He also wrote for The Jeffersons. Many of his TV shows were inspired by his movie Cooley High. This film was based on his own experiences in high school.

Early Life and Education

Eric Monte was born Kenneth Williams in Chicago, Illinois. He was the middle child of three. He grew up in the Cabrini–Green housing project, a community in Chicago.

During his high school years at Cooley Vocational High School, Monte joined the United States Army. After his time in the army, he traveled to Hollywood to start his career.

Writing for Television and Film

Eric Monte's first big chance came when he wrote a script for the TV show All in the Family. This show later led to the creation of The Jeffersons, a very popular series.

He then went on to create two well-known TV shows from the 1970s. He co-created Good Times with Mike Evans. He also created What's Happening!!, which was based on his movie script for Cooley High (1975). The movie Cooley High also inspired another TV show called The White Shadow.

After a legal disagreement about his TV show ideas, Eric Monte received a settlement. However, it became harder for him to get new scripts produced in Hollywood. He later wrote single episodes for other TV shows like The Wayans Bros. and Moesha.

Later Life

Eric Monte faced some financial challenges later in his life. For a time, he lived in a shelter in California. There, he worked on new TV and film scripts. He also wrote a book called Blueprint for Peace.

In 2006, Monte moved back to Chicago. Today, he lives in Portland, Oregon.