Fred Williamson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fred Williamson
Williamson in 2010
Born	Frederick Robert Williamson (1938-03-05) March 5, 1938 (age 87) Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Other names	The Hammer Black Caesar
Education	Friedrich Froebel High School
Alma mater	Northwestern University
Occupation	Actor film director producer
Years active	1968–present
Spouse(s)	Ginette Lavonda ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1967)​ Linda Williamson ​ (m. 1988)​
Children	3 or 6
Football career
No. 24
Position:	Defensive back
Personal information
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
College:	Northwestern
Undrafted:	1960
Career history
Pittsburgh Steelers (1960) Oakland Raiders (1961–1964) Kansas City Chiefs (1965–1967)
Career highlights and awards
AFL champion (1966) 3× AFL All-Star (1961, 1962, 1963)
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions: 36
Player stats at PFR

Frederick Robert Williamson (born March 5, 1938) is an American actor, filmmaker, and former professional football player. He was a defensive back in the American Football League (AFL) during the 1960s. He was a big sports star back then.

After his football career, he became a well-known actor in the 1970s. He starred in many action movies. People often called him "the Hammer" because of how he played football. He also directed and produced his own films.

Early Life and Education

Frederick Williamson was born in Gary, Indiana. His father, Frank, was a welder. Frederick was an only child.

He went to Froebel High School in Gary. There, he was good at track and played football. He finished high school in 1956. After that, he went to Northwestern University. He had a scholarship for track and field.

Professional Football Career

Frederick Williamson played college football at Northwestern University. After college, he joined the San Francisco 49ers. The team moved him to play defense. He played very aggressively. His coach told him to stop "hammering" his own teammates. This is how he got his famous nickname, "The Hammer."

Williamson played one year for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League in 1960. Then, he moved to the new American Football League (AFL). He played four seasons for the Oakland Raiders. He was chosen as an American Football League All-Star three times: in 1961, 1962, and 1963.

He then played three seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs. While with the Chiefs, he became known for his tough playing style. He would use his forearm to hit opposing players, especially wide receivers. This was like karate moves. Before Super Bowl I, he famously said he would knock out the Green Bay Packers' top receivers. He said, "Two hammers to Dowler, one to Dale should be enough."

However, things did not go as he planned. Williamson himself was knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter. He ran into the knee of a Packers' player. He also broke his arm later when a teammate fell on him. Williamson played for eight seasons. He made many hard tackles and blocked many passes. He also caught 36 interceptions in 104 games. He retired from football in 1968.

Acting Career

Williamson at the Festival de Cine de Sitges, October 2008.

After football, Williamson became an actor. He worked with another famous football player turned actor, Jim Brown. They were in movies like Three the Hard Way (1974) and Original Gangstas (1996).

Williamson also appeared on TV shows. He was in an episode of Star Trek called "The Cloud Minders" in 1969. He also played a love interest in the TV show Julia.

His early movies included M*A*S*H (1970). He played an escaped slave in The Legend of N'''*''' Charley (1972). He also starred as a gangster named Tommy Gibbs in Black Caesar (1973) and its sequel Hell Up in Harlem. Williamson was in many "blaxploitation" films during the 1970s. He also worked in Italian movies.

Later, he co-starred with George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino in From Dusk till Dawn (1996). He was also in the original The Inglorious Bast***s (1978). He continued acting and directing into the 2000s. He appeared in the movie Starsky & Hutch (2004).

Directing and Producing Films

Since the 1970s, Frederick Williamson has also been a director and producer. His first movie as a producer was Boss N'''*''' (1975), where he also starred. He then produced Mean Johnny Barrows (1976). This movie was about a Vietnam veteran and was similar to the Rambo films.

In the mid-1970s, Williamson moved to Rome, Italy. He started his own company called Po' Boy Productions. This company made action movies. He starred in and directed films like Adios Amigo (1976) and Death Journey (1976). He has directed over 20 movies. Even today, he is still an active filmmaker.

Personal Life

Frederick Williamson has been married twice. He married Ginette Lavonda in 1960. He has been married to Linda Williamson since 1988. He has several children. Since 1997, he has lived in Palm Springs, California.

Filmography

Film

Television

Images for kids

• 

  Williamson at the Sitges Film Festival in October 2008.

See also

In Spanish: Fred Williamson para niños

• List of American Football League players