In a sea of talented faces on screen, Anthony E. Williams certainly stands out—and not only through his performances in popular shows like Law & Order, New Amsterdam, Power: Raising Kanan, The Equalizer, and Tyler Perry’s latest Netflix thriller, Straw. His determination and passion drive every action he takes. For those newly discovering the Ohio-born actor, Williams is more than just a guest star; he is a storyteller with heart and vision, possessing the tenacity to bring both his own narrative and those of others to life.

From Strongsville to the Screen

“I’m from Strongsville, Ohio,” Williams shares, reflecting on his suburban upbringing. “Grew up out in the suburbs, soccer player.” But it was his early exposure to films that lit the first creative spark. “As a reward, my mom would enter a code in the cable box and let me watch HBO or Showtime. I’d sit cross-legged, mesmerized by the magic of movies and storytelling.”

That enchantment with film never faded, even as Williams pursued a traditional path. He earned a bachelor’s and MBA from UNC Charlotte and the University of Houston, worked at GE in Virginia, and had all the markings of a solid professional career. But the desire to act kept pulling at him. “My wife said, ‘You can either go after it or stop talking about it—but you can’t not go after it and keep talking about it.’”

So, he made a pivot. At 32, Williams went to New York. Got a commercial agent, started doing independent films, and even created a TV pilot titled F.A.M. He didn’t wait for permission; he made his own path.

Betting on Himself

The courage to chase his dream came from a place of faith and personal reckoning. “I was struggling with religion and spirituality,” Williams shared. “I just felt like, if this higher being is real and I tell it what I want, it shouldn’t be denied. But my job is to work so hard at it that it has to happen.”

That grit paid off. He booked roles on shows he grew up watching. Law & Order, in particular, marked a turning point—not just for him, but for those closest to him. “My mom said she didn’t think I was really an actor until I got on Law & Order. She was like, ‘That’s a real show.’”

But it wasn’t, and still isn’t, always glamorous. Guest roles, as he explains, come with unique challenges. “They [the series regulars] are a family—you’re the outsider,” he says of stepping onto a long-running series set. “This might be your big shot, but to them, it’s just Tuesday.” Still, he finds a way to own his space: “When the camera comes on, especially when I’m playing an FBI agent or an Army captain, I have to turn off being a fan. In this scene, I 100% deserve to be here.”

The Power of Representation

Williams isn’t just passionate about performing—he’s equally committed to shaping narratives behind the camera. His pilot FAM, which he wrote, produced, and funded himself, centers around a positive, Black, blended family.

“I think sometimes the narrative in Black cinema and TV can skew negative,” he says. “We needed a new version of The Cosbys.” The show explores the complex relationships between a husband, his ex-wife, his current wife, and his daughter. Much of the story is drawn from his own life: “95% of it is personal,” Williams reveals. “It shows the growth in how me and my ex co-parent, and how we work together, and the intricacies and the nuances between her and my wife, and my daughter, and how we raise her together as a tribe. And I think that anytime we have blended families in African-American culture, there’s just negativity and drama that doesn’t necessarily have to be there.”

Despite initial festival rejections, FAM later earned accolades and ultimately helped launch Williams’ career. “The festivals that turned me down one year gave me awards the next. That’s faith and hard work,” he says. And now, with a solid IMDb and credits alongside industry legends, Williams is repackaging FAM for a new pitch. “Back then, I had no co-stars, no one-liners. Now I’ve been with Mariska [Hargitay] and I’ve been face-to-face with Queen Latifah and James Spader… Now when I go to present, I’m taking another approach at it.”

Working with Tyler Perry: From Sistas to Straw

Williams’ latest acting credit came with Netflix’s Straw, a fast-paced thriller from Tyler Perry Studios. “This was my third Tyler Perry project,” he says, with Sistas being the first, followed by Young Dylan. “I saw the casting notice on Actors Access, reached out, and booked it.” But getting to Georgia was another story.

While filming a separate horror film in New York, Williams realized the dates were overlapping. “I left set at 3 p.m., ran to Enterprise, and drove 15 hours to Atlanta overnight.” After getting pulled over by a cop in the middle of the night and explaining he was on his way to Tyler Perry Studios, the officer let him go with just a warning. “By 8 a.m., sleep-deprived, I was on set looking at Taraji P. Henson, Rockmond Dunbar, and Teyana Taylor. You can’t make this stuff up.”

Working with Tyler Perry, who is known for filming intensely and efficiently, was a crash course in readiness. “You can miss a scene, and they’ll just throw someone else in. So I was basically Tyler’s shadow,” he laughs. “There are at least three scenes I wasn’t supposed to be in, but I was just standing there like, ‘Mind if I jump in?”And he’s like, ‘Yeah.’”

A Vision for What’s Next

With his production company, WMZ Entertainment, Williams is developing two more pilots—a comedy and a procedural drama—but F.A.M. remains his north star. “That’s the one that’s going to kick things off. I think that’s the one that can affect the culture.”

He’s also passionate about changing the scope of Black storytelling. “I want to see more Black characters living regular lives, not just being defined by race or trauma. There’s a whole section of our community that’s underrepresented. We’re not all one story.”

Whether he’s sharing scenes with Taraji or pitching his own series, Anthony E. Williams is a force moving with purpose. He’s someone who chased his dream, bet on himself, and never lost the fire.

“I might be 80 years old when we say ‘action’ on FAM,” he says. “But I’m still going to do it.”

As ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ enters its final chapter, actor O-T Fagbenle—who has played Luke Bankole since the very beginning — is taking it all in with a deep sense of appreciation. Speaking with Hollywood Melanin, Fagbenle opened up about his experience on the groundbreaking series, what it meant to him, and how his character evolves as the story comes to a close.

“My overall feeling is one of gratitude,” he shared. “So few people get to be part of a big show, let alone one that means so much to so many people. And you know, everything ends—that’s the ephemeral nature of the universe. The fact that we’re ending it in style, the way we want to, and in a way I think the audience will find really satisfying, makes me happy.”

Filming the final scenes was both emotional and physically demanding, especially in the freezing Toronto weather, where the show is filmed.

“I’ll never forget how cold it was—my goodness, Toronto can get freezing!” he recalled. “But what really stood out was having Lizzie [Elisabeth Moss] direct the final episode. Watching her blossom into this powerhouse artist—acting, producing, directing—she does it all so brilliantly. Everything started with her. The very first scene of the show was her, Hannah, and me in the car. So this final season feels like a full-circle moment.”

Throughout the series, Luke has faced intense emotional and moral challenges. His journey mirrors the reality of many displaced people around the world—those caught in the chaos of war and political upheaval, struggling with a lack of power and control.

“One of Luke’s biggest challenges has always been his sense of helplessness—his inability to act,” Fagbenle explained. “He can’t get his daughter back, he can’t get his wife back. That reflects the reality of so many refugees today who have no power over the machinery of big governments. But what’s satisfying in this final season is that you finally get to see Luke take some chances—he starts to make a bit of a difference.”

As ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ enters its sixth and final season, Fagbenle’s reflections serve as a powerful reminder of the emotional depth and cultural relevance the series has carried since its debut. With new episodes dropping weekly from April 8 through May 27 on HULU, fans can expect a poignant and gripping conclusion to the story of June Osborn and those around her. For Fagbenle and viewers who’ve followed Luke’s journey from the beginning, this season promises a payoff that’s both meaningful and hard-earned.

Campbell Addy gets candid about his life and art in the new docuseries from National Geographic.

‘Photographer’ is a six-part documentary collection featuring seven visual artists who take on significant projects and invite viewers on the journey. Award-winning filmmakers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin share interwoven backstories, archival interviews, and verité footage to unveil the intimate process behind creating some of the most iconic photography masterpieces.

Episode four, titled ‘Feeling Seen,’ features the story of the award-winning British Ghanaian photographer Campbell Addy. It examines different facets of Addy’s life, such as his art, family, heritage, faith, and identity.

A brilliant visionary, Addy photographed celebrities from Beyonce to Meghan Markle before the age of 30. In ‘Photographers,’ we follow the creative as he prepares for his solo exhibition in London. This is a turning point in his career, where he gets to redefine himself as an artist. Addy’s art show, ‘I Love Campbell,’ carries a simple yet powerful message, shifting the focus from the photographer’s high-fashion pieces to highlight his most intimate and comprehensive works to date.

When first approached to participate in the documentary, Addy tells Hollywood Melanin he had doubts. “At first, I didn’t think it was real. I remember sitting down with [my team], and we spoke about what I planned to do. I get to meet these wonderful people; if it works, it’s great; if it doesn’t, it’s also fine.”

Bold, vulnerable, and honest, Addy’s episode in the ‘Photographer’ shows a side of the artist the public hasn’t seen before. The 30-year-old says telling things as is was his intention from the very beginning. “This was the only way I could do it. I needed to be honest, I needed to be authentic and I needed to make sure I’m telling a story that is important. It isn’t just about the image. It’s a lot more than that.”

With so many masterpieces already out there, Addy, in true artist fashion, says he has no favorites. “It’s like choosing a favorite child,” he laughs.

The saying about experiences shaping who we are could not be more true for Addy, whose journey through life is most certainly reflected in his work. His art encompasses it all – from the challenges of being raised in a strict religious household to the pushback he encountered as a queer Black artist. Would he have it any other way? Addy says, “Hard ‘no’ on going back. I’ve come too far. I used to do it a lot. That kind of energy would put you in a bad place. I am in a space of ‘yesterday has happened’ and ‘tomorrow doesn’t exist’. I’m here now, so. There is nothing ’cause then I wouldn’t be me.”

Watch National Geographic’s ‘Photographer,’ now available to stream on Disney+.