Mar 5
Fred Williamson, nicknamed "the Hammer," is an American actor, filmmaker, and former professional football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League (AFL) during the 1960s. He was a top sports star during the decade, and become a leading man in blaxploitation and action films beginning in the 1970s.
After retiring from football in 1968, Williamson made a string of a guest and supporting roles on television and in films. He played his first leading role in the blaxploitation Western The Legend of Nigger Charley, which he reprised in two sequels. He starred as "Tommy Gibbs" in the 1973 crime drama film Black Caesar and its sequel Hell Up in Harlem. He also had roles in other 1970s blaxploitation films such as Hammer, That Man Bolt, and Three the Hard Way. Later in the decade, he worked extensively in Italian cinema, and also began to direct and produce his own films.