Fred Williamson

Fred "The Hammer" Williamson

Fred "The Hammer" Williamson is probably best known for his role on that one episode of Murder She Wrote, but he appeared in other cinematic works along the way. 

In fact, Williamson has appeared in numerous B-movies, including several Black Cobra installments, Quentin Tarantino's From Dusk to Dawn, Children of the Corn 5, and many more.

Williamson is a former professional American Football player who took to the screen naturally.  His martial arts skills and large stature made him a shoo-in for lead roles in action and exploitation films.

  Fred Williamson's earliest TV work lead to a slew of roles in Blaxploitation movies throughout the 1970s, including Black Caesar and Boss Nigger.  While these roles cemented him as a solid lead in film, it also typecast him somewhat. In 1974, he opened Po' Boy Productions, which has made over 40 titles since it was founded.

Even today, Fred Williamson remains one of the most prolific, and in demand, black actors in Hollywood.  A reboot of Black Cobra is rumored and Williamson has no fewer than 10 projects either in the works or already completed and awaiting release (according to IMdB) at the time of this writing.

Interestingly, Fred Williamson is a trained Architect.  He appeared in Playgirl in 1973... which is how "The Hammer" got his nickname.

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