Tyler James Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tyler James Williams
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Williams in 2012
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| Born | October 9, 1992 |
| Occupation | Actor, rapper |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Relatives |
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Tyler James Williams (born October 9, 1992) is an American actor and rapper. He started acting when he was a child. He appeared on popular shows like Saturday Night Live, Little Bill, and Sesame Street.
Tyler became very well known for playing Chris Rock in the TV show Everybody Hates Chris from 2005 to 2009. After that, he starred as a songwriter named Cyrus DeBarge in the Disney Channel movie Let It Shine in 2012. He also played Noah in the TV drama series The Walking Dead from 2014 to 2015.
Currently, Tyler stars as Gregory Eddie in the TV show Abbott Elementary. For this role, he has won a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He has also been nominated three times for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Tyler has also acted in movies such as Detroit (2017) and The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021).
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Tyler's Early Life and Family
Tyler James Williams was born in Westchester County, New York. He grew up in Yonkers, New York. His mother, Angela Williams, works as a counselor. His father, Le'Roy Williams, is a teacher and used to be a police sergeant.
Tyler has two younger brothers, Tyrel Jackson Williams and Tylen Jacob Williams. Both of his brothers are also actors!
Tyler's Acting Journey
Tyler began his acting career when he was just 4 years old. He voiced the character Bobby in the show Little Bill starting in 2000. He also played a character named Tyler on the PBS series Sesame Street from 2000 to 2005.
Becoming Chris Rock
In September 2005, Tyler became famous for playing the main character in the hit TV show Everybody Hates Chris. This show was very popular and finished in May 2009. Tyler won a Young Artist Award in 2007 for his great work on the show. He also appeared in other shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2009, he was a guest star in True Jackson, VP.
Singing and Acting in Disney Films
In 2012, Tyler played Owen in the TV series Go On. He also got the main role of Cyrus DeBarge in the Disney Channel movie Let It Shine. In this movie, he showed off his rapping skills by being featured on nine songs from the soundtrack.
The movie Let It Shine first aired on June 15, 2012. His songs from the movie, like "Don't Run Away" and "Moment of Truth," were played often on Radio Disney. Their music videos were also shown a lot on the Disney Channel. Tyler also appeared in the Disney XD series Lab Rats. He played an older version of the character played by his younger brother, Tyrel Jackson Williams.
New Roles and Shows
In 2014, Tyler starred as Lionel Higgins in the independent film Dear White People. He also joined the TV series The Walking Dead as the character Noah. In 2016, Tyler played Russ "Monty" Montgomery in the show Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.
In 2019, Tyler was cast as Jake in The Wedding Year, a romantic comedy movie. In 2020, he played Paul in The Argument. In 2021, he started his role as Gregory Eddie in the TV show Abbott Elementary. For this role, he was nominated for an Emmy Award.
Tyler's Filmography
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Two for the Money | Guest at Party | Uncredited |
| 2006 | The Ant Bully | Blue Teammate #1 | Voice |
| Unaccompanied Minors | Charlie Goldfinch | ||
| 2012 | Let it Shine | Cyrus DeBarge | |
| 2013 | Tyler Perry Presents Peeples | Simon Peeples | |
| 2014 | Dear White People | Lionel Higgins | |
| 2017 | Detroit | Leon | |
| 2019 | The Wedding Year | Jake Riddick | |
| 2020 | The Argument | Paul | |
| 2021 | The United States vs. Billie Holiday | Lester 'Prez' Young | |
| 2024 | Amber Alert | Shane |
Television Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2003 | Saturday Night Live | Jack Black's adopted son / Young Boy / Entari Shakunte | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | Sesame Street | Tyler | 10 episodes |
| 2000–2002 | Little Bill | Bobby | Voice, 26 episodes |
| 2004 | Judge Mooney | Melvin | |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Kyle McGovern | Episode: "Parts" |
| 2005–2009 | Everybody Hates Chris | Chris | Lead role; 88 episodes |
| 2009 | The Cleaner | Kenji Simon | Episode: "Last American Casualty" |
| True Jackson, VP | Justin | 2 episodes | |
| 2010 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | Jason Rusch / Firestorm | Voice, 3 episodes |
| Our Show | Andre | Television film | |
| 2011 | House | Landon | Episode: "Carrot or Stick" |
| 2012 | Lab Rats | Future Leo | Episode: "Back from the Future" |
| Let It Shine | Cyrus DeBarge / Truth | Television film | |
| 2012–2013 | Go On | Owen Lewis | Series regular |
| 2014 | Key & Peele | Jaleel White | Episode: "Family Matters" |
| 2014–2015 | The Walking Dead | Noah | Recurring role; season 5 |
| 2015 | Criminal Minds | Russ "Monty" Montgomery | Episode: "Beyond Borders" |
| Ballers | Water boy | Episode: "Raise Up" | |
| Instant Mom | Jamal | Episode: "Jamal in the Family" | |
| Comedy Bang! Bang! | Temptation | Episode: "Brie Larson Wears a Billowy Long-Sleeve Shirt and White Saddle Shoes" | |
| 2016 | RePlay | Nate | Main role, web series |
| 2016–2017 | Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders | Russ "Monty" Montgomery | Main role |
| 2018 | Dear White People | Carson Rhodes | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Whiskey Cavalier | Edgar Standish | Main role |
| A Black Lady Sketch Show | Rome | Episode: "Where Are My Background Singers?" | |
| 2021–present | Abbott Elementary | Gregory Eddie | Main role |
| 2023 | Harley Quinn | Hawkman | Voice, episode: "A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special" |
| 2024 | Everybody Still Hates Chris | Producer, episode: "Everybody Still Hates the GED" | |
| 2025 | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Gregory Eddie | Episode: "TBA" |
Video Games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Little Bill Thinks Big | Bobby |
Awards and Nominations
Awards Tyler Has Won
- Black Reel Awards: Best Breakthrough Performance for Dear White People (2015)
- Golden Globe Awards: Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series for Abbott Elementary (2023)
- NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for Everybody Hates Chris (2007)
- NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Independent Motion Picture for Detroit (2018)
- NAACP Image Award: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary (2023)
- Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary (2023)
- Young Artist Awards: Best Performance in a TV Series – Leading Young Actor for Everybody Hates Chris (2008)
- Peabody Award: Entertainment for Abbott Elementary (2022)
Awards Tyler Was Nominated For
- Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards: Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for Abbott Elementary (2022)
- Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary (2022, 2023, 2024)
- Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary (2024)
- Teen Choice Awards: Choice Actor: Comedy for Everybody Hates Chris (2006)
Tyler's Music
Tyler James Williams has also released music!
- Let It Shine Soundtrack (2012)
- Me, My Brother, And A Mic (2015)
See also
In Spanish: Tyler James Williams para niños
