Gregory Alan Williams facts for kids

Gregory Alan Williams (born June 12, 1956) is an American actor and author. He is famous for playing police officer Garner Ellerbee in the popular TV show Baywatch. You might also know him as Coach Pat Purnell in the series Necessary Roughness.

Williams has appeared in many other TV shows. These include Secrets and Lies, Greenleaf, and The Righteous Gemstones. He is known for playing a wide variety of characters in both movies and television.

From Marine to Movie Star

Gregory Alan Williams was born in Des Moines, Iowa. After graduating from East High School, he attended Coe College. Before becoming an actor, he served in the United States Marine Corps.

His acting career began in 1988 with the movie Above the Law. A year later, he landed his most famous role as Garner Ellerbee on Baywatch. He played this character for many years, even returning for the spin-off show Baywatch Nights.

After Baywatch, Williams acted in many other popular TV shows. He had roles in The Sopranos, The West Wing, and Chicago Med. He has also appeared in movies like the football drama Remember the Titans (2000) and the comedy Old School (2003).

A Hero and an Author

Besides acting, Gregory Alan Williams is also a talented writer. He has written four books. One of his most important books is called A Gathering of Heroes: Reflections on Rage and Responsibility.

This book tells the story of his life and a very brave thing he did. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, a time of major conflict in the city, Williams saw a man being attacked by a crowd. He stepped in and saved the man's life. For his courage, he was given the Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice in 1992.

Selected Film and TV Roles

Gregory Alan Williams has been in dozens of movies and TV shows. Here are some of his most well-known roles.

Famous Movie Roles

• Above the Law (1988) as FBI Agent Halloran
• Major League (1989) as a security guard
• In the Line of Fire (1993) as Secret Service Agent Matt Wilder
• Remember the Titans (2000) as Coach Paul "Doc" Hines
• Old School (2003) as a therapist
• The Collector (2009) as the Sheriff
• Million Dollar Arm (2014) as Doug
• Terminator Genisys (2015) as Detective Harding
• Miracles from Heaven (2016) as Dr. Joe Hester
• The Accountant (2016) as the Treasury Secretary
• Hidden Figures (2016) as Marion Smithson
• Geostorm (2017) as General Montgaff
• Brightburn (2019) as Sheriff Deever
• The Banker (2020) as Britton Garrett

Popular TV Shows

• Baywatch (1989–1998) as Officer Garner Ellerbee
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1991) as a security guard
• Baywatch Nights (1995–1997) as Officer Garner Ellerbee
• The Sopranos (2000–2001) as Reverend James, Jr.
• The West Wing (2000–2002) as Robbie Mosley
• One Tree Hill (2006) as Chuck
• The Game (2006–2011) as Dr. James Barnett
• Army Wives (2009) as Lt. Col. Wallace
• Drop Dead Diva (2009–2014) as Judge Warren Libby
• Necessary Roughness (2011–2013) as Coach Pat Purnell
• Secrets and Lies (2015) as Kevin Haynes
• Greenleaf (2016–2018) as Robert 'Mac' McCready
• Chicago Med (2017–2024) as Bert Goodwin
• The Resident (2018) as Dr. Peterson
• The Righteous Gemstones (2019–2023) as Martin Imari

See also

In Spanish: Gregory Alan Williams para niños