J. D. Williamss biography, net worth, fact, career, awards and life story

Publish date: 2024-06-15
IntroAmerican actor
A.K.A.Darnell “J.D.” Williams
IsActor 
Television actor 
FromUnited States of America 
TypeFilm, TV, Stage & Radio 
Gendermale
Birth22 May 1978, Newark
Age:42 years
Star signGemini

Darnell “J.D.” Williams (born May 22, 1978) is an American actor from New Jersey. Best known for his starring roles in the HBO television programs Oz as Kenny Wangler, The Wire as Bodie Broadus and Pootie Tang as Froggy.

Early life

Williams was born in Newark, New Jersey. He attended Newark Arts High School, a performing arts public school in Newark, New Jersey. He portrayed a biracial 15-year-old dealing with racism and his father’s infidelity in the play A.M. Sunday in late 2003 at Baltimore’s Centerstage theater. He had a number of cameos and leading roles in R&B and hip-hop music videos between 2002 and 2005.

Career

Williams appeared in Homicide: Life on the Street, a show based on a book by The Wire creator David Simon, where he guest-starred as Casper in the episode “The Why Chromosome”. He had a small guest starring role in The Sopranos episode “46 Long” as Special K, an incompetent stickup man and one of Brendan Filone’s goons. He went on to play series regular, inmate Kenny Wangler, in the first four seasons of Oz. He then appeared in HBOs The Wire as Bodie Broadus, a Barksdale Organization drug dealer who slowly rises through the ranks throughout the seasons. In preparation for the role, he walked around Baltimore’s inner city during the middle of the night a few days before the first taping; talking about this to AllHipHop, Williams stated “it was like 12 or 1:00 in the morning. I just threw on a black hoodie and walked around. I went to one of their hoods and watched that night. I learned not to do that no more, I was lucky I made it back that night.” He is older than his character by 8 years.

According to his original HBO bio, he is credited with appearing in the film Graffiti Bridge, but a 2003 interview with AllHipHop revealed that Williams was not in the movie. The page no longer exists, however. Tevin Campbell filled the cameo role with which Williams was credited.

Williams has had leading roles or cameo appearances in a number of R&B and hip-hop music videos. He has appeared as himself, a love interest, and characters resembling his role as a drug dealer on The Wire.

In 2012, Williams had a major supporting role in the indie film Surviving Family as the ex-boyfriend of the main character. His character was a wounded veteran of the war in Iraq who had lost an eye in an IED attack and suffered from PTSD.

He has starred in a number of commercials, and played a delivery man in a FedEx commercial. Hey appeared as Lemond Bishop’s Lieutenant “Dexter” in episodes of The Good Wife.

Filmography

Film

YearTitle
1994Death Riders
199924 Hour Woman
2001Pootie Tang
2001Popcorn Shrimp
2001Snipes
2002Durdy Game
2003Mr. Smith Gets a Hustler
2005Two Guns
2005The Warriors (Video Game)
2006Shanghai Hotel
20074 Life
2008Cash Rules
2009Falling Awake
2010Code Blue
2010Happy New Year
2011Sex, Money and You Already Know
2012An American in Hollywood
2012Surviving Family
2016Guns and Grams

Television

YearTitleNotes
1997New York Undercoverone episode
1998Law & Orderone episode
1999The Sopranosone episode
1999Trinityone episode
1999Homicide: Life on the Streetone episode
1999Third Watchone episode
2000Sex and the Cityone episode
1997–2000Oztwenty-three episodes
2000Big Appleone episode
2001100 Centre Streettwo episodes
2002–2006The Wireforty-two episodes
2006Rap Citythree episodes
2008The Kill Pointeight episodes
2010, 2011Detroit 1-8-7two episodes
2010–2015The Good Wifesix episodes
2013Blue Bloodsone episode
2014The Followingtwo episodes
2016Law & Order: Special Victims Unittwo episodes
2016Saints & SinnersSeries regular
2016The Night Ofmultiple episodes

Music videos

Theater roles

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