Founder of Po ‘Boy Productions, Actor, Director, Former Football League Player

Fred Williamson | Biography

In 1974, Williamson founded his own production firm, Po ‘Boy Productions, and began producing and directing movies

• By Chetana
• Update : March 29, 2022

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Fred Williamson is a former American Football League player who became an actor, producer, and director.

What is Fred Williamson's Net Worth?

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Fred Williamson is estimated to have a net worth of $15 million as of 2022. Williamson was a defensive back player on Northwestern University’s college team. After graduating high school in 1956, Williamson received a football scholarship for university.

Initially, he was accepted by the college team as an undrafted free agent, but he became a defensive player during the training camp. It made him play aggressively and violently. Subsequently, his coach gave him the infamous name, The Hammer.

Further, in 1961, Williamson was drafted by the American Football League, after which he played for the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. He was given the ‘All-Star Team’ of the League recognition in the 1961, 1962, and 1963 seasons.

He then played for Kansas City Chiefs for three seasons and later joined the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes for the 1968 season. However, due to the trauma of injuries he met while playing for Kansas, Williamson could not play in the 1968 season and announced his retirement.

After that, Williamson appeared in the sitcom Julia in 1968. He also acted in movies such as Three the Hard Way in 1974, Take a Hard Ride in 1975, One Down, Two to Go in 1982, Original Gangstas in 1996, and On the Edge in 2002. Further, he was also seen in the film The Man Bolt in 1973, Black Caesar in 1973, and Mean Johnny Barrows in 1975.

In 1974, Williamson founded his own production firm, Po ‘Boy Productions, and began producing and directing movies.

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How Old is Fred Williamson?

Fred Williamson was born on 5 March 1938 in Gary, Indiana.

Williamson Also Tried Other Jobs Besides Acting & Sports

In an interview with The Flashback Files, Williamson explained, "I retired from pro football after ten years and I went to work as an architect. I found out that nine to five and an hour for lunch did not suit my personality."

Similarly, in a 2017 interview with Andscape, Williamson stated that once he stopped playing football, he didn't want to sell cars and be an insurance salesman like most players coming out.

He also said that, back in the day, he wasn't making enough money to sustain himself on a football salary and needed a second job. 

"My signing bonus when I came out of Northwestern was $1,900. My starting salary $9,005. So I wasn't rich, dude. I wasn't a high-paid football player," he continued. "So I started thinking about doing something else. I saw a couple of Julia episodes on television and I noticed that each week the guest star was a new boyfriend. So I said: I'm better looking than any of those guys. I'm going to Hollywood! I was in San Francisco then. I drove up to Hollywood and accomplished it in two days."

Is Linda Williamson Fred Williamson's Wife?

Williamson married Linda Williamson in 1988. Before that, he was married to Ginette Lavonda from 1960 to 1967.

He is reported to have three children. But, some sources reported him to be a father to six children. However, neither Williamson nor his family has confirmed any of the alleged numbers.

'The Hammer: An American Hero'

The book 'The Hammer: An American Hero' tells the story of Williamson's rise from obscurity to becoming one of the most talented football players in history. 

Williamson grew up on Chicago's rough streets. However, he transcended school, earned a degree in architectural engineering from Northwestern University, and became a successful football player after inventing the contentious bump and run technique.

He became a very successful writer, director, and actor in many exciting action films. Williamson also appeared on several popular television shows. He was a key figure in the explosion of black-and-white action films in the 1970s, and he still makes films today. For years, Williamson has successfully brought powerful, intelligent images of African American men to the silver screen.

According to the book's bio, 'The Hammer: An American Hero' answers the questions such as "What motivated Williamson to excel? How did he get the name The Hammer? How did he get bullies to leave him alone in high school? Why did he study martial arts? Why does he prefer to make independent films? Why did he write, produce and direct his own films? Why does he make films overseas? What three rules did he give to film producers who wanted to hire him? Why did he create his own film production company?" and more.

Did You Know?

• In a 2017 interview with Andscape, Williamson said,  "I've got three rules in Hollywood: (1) You can't kill me in the movie, (2) I want to win all my fights in a movie, and (3) I get the girl at the end of the movie if I want her."