Cress Williams
Cress Williams is an American actor born on July 26, 1970, in Heidelberg, West Germany, to American parents. He studied acting at Fullerton College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre from the University of California, Los Angeles. Williams began his acting career performing in college plays, notably in productions like Shakespeare's "Othello" in 1990 before moving on to television and film roles. He is best known for his diverse roles on television, including Terrence "Scooter" Williams on the sitcom "Living Single," Inspector Antwon Babcock on "Nash Bridges," and Detective Ed Williams on the drama "Close to Home." He gained further prominence as Mayor Lavon Hayes in The CW series "Hart of Dixie" and especially as the lead character Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning in the superhero TV series "Black Lightning" (2018-2021). Williams has also had guest roles on numerous popular shows including "Prison Break," where he played the assassin Wyatt Mathewson, along with appearances in "Friday Night Lights," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Law & Order: SVU," among others. In addition to live-action roles, he has voiced the character John Henry Irons in animated films related to the DC universe. Off screen, Williams has been married twice and has four children. His career spans from the early 1990s to the present, marked by a steady presence in television dramas, action series, and superhero fiction, earning him recognition as a versatile and reliable actor in the entertainment industry
Filmography · 50
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999 · Sam Dufoy
Grey's Anatomy
2005 · Tucker Jones
Criminal Minds
2005 · Davonte Faust
House
2004 · Hospital Attorney
The West Wing
1999 · Lester
The Flash
2014 · Jefferson Pierce / Bla...
ER
1994 · Officer Reggie Moore
NYPD Blue
1993 · Silky
JAG
1995 · Captain Overton
Cold Case
2003 · Jimmy Clarke
Beverly Hills, 90210
1990 · D'Shawn Hardell
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
1993 · Talak'talan
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
2016 · Jefferson Pierce / Bla...
Steve
2017 · Self
Veronica Mars
2004 · Nathan Woods
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993 · Baron Sunday
Touched by an Angel
1994 · Riley
Nash Bridges
1996 · Antwon Babcock
Black Lightning
2018 · Jefferson Pierce / Bla...
Hart of Dixie
2011 · Lavon Hayes
Close to Home
2005 · Ed Williams
Living Single
1993 · Terrence
Code Black
2015 · Cole Guthrie
Sports Night
1998 · Steve Sarris
Eyes of Wakanda
2025 · The Lion (voice)
The Lyon's Den
2003 · Eddie
Fallen
1998 · Detective Joe
Never Been Kissed
1999 · George
Watching Ellie
2002 · Dexter
The Death of Superman
2019 · John Henry Irons (voic...
The Death and Return of Superman
2019 · John Henry Irons / Ste...
Reign of the Supermen
2019 · John Henry Irons / Ste...
The Doom Generation
1995 · Peanut
Creature
1998 · Tall Man
2 Days in the Valley
1996 · Golfer
Little Black Book
2004 · Phil
Lowriders
2017 · Williams
Leaving L.A.
1997 · Dudley Adams
In Your Eyes
2014 · Jake
Pursuit of Happiness
2001 · Ace
The Violent Heart
2020 · Lee
L.A. Johns
1997 · Bill Allen
Crime Story
2021 · Jimmy
What Remains
2022 · Marshall
Dead Wrong
2024 · Paul Drake
Home Invasion
1997 · Freemont
Rolling Thunder
1996 · 'Grey' Toussaint
The Dogwalker
2002 · K.C.
Masquerade
2000 · Marcus
A Music City Story
—