Tyler James Williams has come into his own amid the ongoing success of Abbott Elementary, and he has garnered an Emmy nomination, a Golden Globe and SAG Awards in the process. However, another advantage to the teacher-centric sitcom’s success has been feeling more secure in his career. After working in Hollywood for two decades, Williams spoke about entering the “f—k it” phase of his career.
Most viewers have watched the Gregory Eddie actor grow up from Williams' days on Saturday Night Live to the ABC sitcom. Now, the Golden Globe winner is finally feeling stable in his acting career after experiencing some difficulties as a former child star. As part of the Comedy Actor Roundtable, Tyler James Williams spilled to THR what it was like getting to this era in his career, saying:
I think for a while I was doing things just to survive. I think one of the hard parts of finding success young is then you’re thrown into the ‘do you have staying power’ argument. I was just trying to keep the train moving, which eventually everyone figures out is not sustainable. But after taking those periods of silence, I was able to figure out what I actually wanted to do. If you don’t get to ‘fuck it, I do what I want,’ eventually you burn out.
Williams has earned this successful chapter of his career after working somewhat consistently since his teenage years. The Abbott Elementary star experienced multiple phases during his time in Hollywood – from headlining the critically-acclaimed Everybody Hates Chris to Disney and Nickelodeon TV movies to supporting roles in shows like The Walking Dead. Those early years were filled with uncertainty and instability as he hopped from project to project, but now with the ABC comedy, he's found not only stability but great success.
Though he reached this new phase, Tyler James Williams was grateful for securing his Abbott role now rather than earlier in his acting career. The former child actor admitted to the publication that he was a people pleaser early in his career. Williams mentioned he could handle “the success, the press, and all of that” better than when he was a teen star. His unique experience came in handy when working with the Emmy-winning comedy’s young cast. The 30-year-old actor felt as an adult he is “more grounded and knew how to set boundaries.” Now, two decades in, he knows exactly what type of actor he wants to be, and is feeling free.
Of course, Tyler James Williams entering this time in his career has been fruitful for him. He got the chance to meet and earn a standing ovation from his idol Eddie Murphy. Plus, things are seemingly getting better for the Everybody Hates Chris alum as he might earn his second Best Supporting Actor Emmy nomination for Abbott Elementary.
Unfortunately, viewers will have to wait for Season 3 a bit longer as the WGA writers’ strike continues. However, they will get to revisit Gregory’s best Season 2 moments as part of ABC's fall schedule. In the meantime, you can watch Abbott Elementary’s first two seasons through an active Hulu subscription.
