An Interview with Fred Williamson
A larger than life personality. A trailblazer. An action movie iron man. All could be used to describe the subject of this interview… Fred Williamson.
Fred Williamson left behind a professional football career and hammered his way into Hollywood more than four decades ago and Williams has been working in the movie industry ever since, both in front of and behind the camera.
Williamson’s latest project, Nazi Doomsday Device, hit the UK earlier this month ( Now available on Amazon Video UK and Vimeo On Demand) and it will be making its way to the United States in the coming weeks.
In this interview, I talk to The Hammer about his latest film, one of my favorites Original Gangstas and we event talk a little football….
CTB: When your acting career really started rolling back in the 1970’s, I am not sure anyone could have imagined four decades later you’d still be making movies. What is the secret to your longevity in the business?
FW: My career success is based on what the fans like in my personal character and my personality. Being The Hammer in football gave me a bad ass aura. When I decided to go into the movies this image was my selling card also if you want longevity you must learn the business end of the movie business sooner or later, otherwise the phone stops ringing for anyone. So I started producing and directing to make sure I had longevity.
CTB: Nazi Doomsday Device was recently released in the UK and it will be available here in the United States soon (under the name Atomic Eden). What was it about that project that appealed to you?
FW: Nazi Doomsday Device was given to me by Nico Senter, a friend and the director of the movie. Nico mentioned it would shoot in Germany, which really interested me as I knew it would help create a foreign market. The character of Stoker was in line with my image so it was a no brainer to say OK.
CTB: When you are working with less experienced actors, like you did in Nazi Doomsday Device, do the actors come to you looking for advice?
FW: I was the pro in Nazi Doomsday Device and I was treated as such.
CTB: You’ve literally made movies all over the world, what was your favorite foreign country to work in?
FW: Italy… hands down.
CTB: Original Gangstas is one of my personal favorites your filmography… I remember renting this one and watching with my parents as they regaled me with tales of some of their 70’s favorites. To me Original Gangstas was the Blaxploitation version of The Expendables, except it came 20 years before Stallone’s project. What was it like getting all that talent under one roof?
FW: It was my idea. As far as Hollywood was concerned individually the stars of Original Gangstas were of no value, so it was my idea to put us all together in one film. Now we were talking about a product of interest to the fans. Hollywood had nothing to do with this film I raised the money from foreign pre-sales to make this film. The film was a huge success. Stallone saw the value of putting actors that were no longer needed by Hollywood together and his movies were also a success. I’m trying to put the finances together for a sequel called Old School Gangstas.
CTB: Everyone is probably well aware of your football background before you got into acting, do you still follow the NFL? What do you think of today’s game compared to your time on the gridiron?
FW: Professional football has changed so much it is not interesting to me. Too much money paid to the players takes away from the game. I like college football they play harder so they can become pros where they don’t have to play so hard for more money. The Hammer couldn’t play today I was too violent. I would owe my entire salary to the league for unnecessary roughness.
CTB: Is there one movie in your career that fans ask you about more than any other?
FW: For white folks it is From Dusk Til Dawn. For black folks it is Black Caesar. But as Variety reminded everyone in their magazine this past March, Fred Williamson is not a black actor, Fred Williamson is an actor. And remember before Black Panther there was The Hammer!
