Mykelti Williamson

A steadily working television actor beginning in the 1980s, Mykelti Williamson gained widespread recognition with his role as sweet, simple, shrimp enthusiast Bubba Blue in the Academy Award-winning movie "Forrest Gump" (1994). Williamson went on to become a reliable supporting player on film, often coming across as a warm, gentle giant, even in his many appearances as officers of the law or sympathetic outlaws in over their head. The affable actor had the opportunity to contribute to screen portrayals of such notable African-American cultural stories as that of the "Buffalo Soldiers" (TNT, 1997) and the historic Negro League in "Soul of the Game" (1996). In several projects, he tackled racial issues, including his work in the acclaimed Showtime adaptation of "12 Angry Men" (1997) and the indie film "Spinning Into Butter" (2009), in which he portrayed a journalist investigating a string of racial incidents at a New England college. While Williamson offered excellent supporting performances in mainstream hits like "Con Air" (1997), "Primary Colors" (1998) and "Ali" (2001), starring roles on fast-paced television dramas like "The Fugitive" (CBS, 2000-01), "24" (Fox, 2001-2010) and "Justified" (FX, 2010-15) became the calling card of the prolific and appealing actor.