J. D. Williams
Born (1978-05-22) May 22, 1978
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1994–present
Known for"Bodie Broadus" in The Wire and Kenny Wangler in Oz

J. D. Williams (born May 22, 1978) is an American actor known for his starring roles in the HBO television programs Oz as Kenny Wangler, The Wire as Bodie Broadus and Pootie Tang as Froggy, Surviving Family (2012) as Bobby, The Good Wife (2010-2015) as Dexter, and in the main cast of Saints & Sinners. He also starred in Blood Brother (2018) as Kayvon.

Early life

Williams was born in Newark, New Jersey. He attended Newark Arts High School, a performing arts public school in Newark.[1] He portrayed a biracial 15-year-old dealing with racism and his father's infidelity in the play A.M. Sunday in late 2003 at Baltimore's Centerstage theater.[2] He had a number of cameos and leading roles in R&B and hip-hop music videos between 2002 and 2005.[3][4]

Career

Williams appeared in Homicide: Life on the Street, a show based on a book by The Wire creator David Simon, where he guest-starred as Casper in the episode "The Why Chromosome".[5] He had a small guest starring role in The Sopranos episode "46 Long" as Special K, an incompetent stickup man and one of Brendan Filone's goons.[4] He went on to play series regular, inmate Kenny Wangler, in the first four seasons of Oz.[6] He then appeared in HBOs The Wire as Bodie Broadus, a Barksdale Organization drug dealer who slowly rises through the ranks throughout the seasons.[6][7] In preparation for the role, he walked around Baltimore's inner city during the middle of the night a few days before the first taping; talking about this to AllHipHop, Williams stated "it was like 12 or 1:00 in the morning. I just threw on a black hoodie and walked around. I went to one of their hoods and watched that night. I learned not to do that no more, I was lucky I made it back that night."[4] He is older than his character by 8 years.[3]

According to his original HBO bio, he is credited with appearing in the film Graffiti Bridge, but a 2003 interview with AllHipHop revealed that Williams was not in the movie.[4] The page no longer exists, however. Tevin Campbell filled the cameo role with which Williams was credited.

Williams has had leading roles or cameo appearances in a number of R&B and hip-hop music videos. He has appeared as himself, a love interest, and characters resembling his role as a drug dealer on The Wire.[3][4]

In 2012, Williams had a major supporting role in the indie film Surviving Family as the ex-boyfriend of the main character. His character was a wounded veteran of the war in Iraq who had lost an eye in an IED attack and suffered from PTSD.

He has starred in a number of commercials, and played a delivery man in a FedEx commercial.[8] He appeared as Lemond Bishop's Lieutenant "Dexter" in episodes of The Good Wife.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1994 Death Riders Buzz Saw
1999 The 24 Hour Woman Toy Store Clerk
2001 Pootie Tang Froggy
Popcorn Shrimp Bubba Short
Snipes J.D.
2002 Mr. Smith Gets a Hustler Abe
Durdy Game Little Man Video
2005 Two Guns Bill Video
2007 4 Life Pooh Video
The Second Line Natt Short
2008 Cash Rules Spike (J.D.) Video
2009 Falling Awake D-Money
2010 Code Blue Wicked
2011 Happy New Year Jerome
Shanghai Hotel Thump
After Hours: The Movie D.C.
2012 Zoo Red
Surviving Family Bobby
2013 Chinese Puzzle Le barman
The Lost Book Of Rap Hassen Short
2014 An American in Hollywood Dorian
Cymbeline Quarry Cop 2
Shelter Drug Dealer
2016 Guns and Grams BK
The Choir Police Officer Short
2017 Served Film Uncle Q Short film
2018 Blood Brother Kayvon
Clipped Wings, They Do Fly Toby Johnson
2019 The Probe Stink TV movie
2020 One Sweet Night Ossian Sweet Short
2021 Bruiser Malcolm Short

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1997 New York Undercover Victor Episode: "Fade Out"
1997–2000 Oz Kenny Wangler Guest: season 1-2, Supporting Cast: season 3-4
1998 Law & Order 2nd Kid Episode: "Castoff"
1999 The Sopranos Special K Episode: "46 Long"
Trinity Malik Episode: "Breaking In, Breaking Out, Breaking Up, Breaking Down"
Homicide: Life on the Street Damon 'Casper' Kelly Episode: "The Why Chromosome"
Third Watch Pee Wee Episode: "Welcome to Camelot"
2000 Sex and the City Sweet Sauce Episode: "No Ifs, Ands or Butts"
2001 100 Centre Street William Floyd Episode: "Bobby & Cynthia" & "Queenie and Joe"
Big Apple Derrick Episode: "A Ministering Angel"
2002–06 The Wire Preston 'Bodie' Broadus Recurring cast: Season 1-2, main cast: Season 3-4
2007 The Kill Point Marshall O'Brien, Jr./Mr. Cat Main cast
2009 Nite Tales: The Series Rapper Episode: "Trapped"
2010–11 Detroit 1-8-7 Pup Clemmons Episode: "Royal Bubbles/Needle Drop" & "Stone Cold"
2010–15 The Good Wife Dexter Roja Recurring cast: Season 2 & 4 & 6
2012 Blue Bloods Benjamin Banks Episode: "No Questions Asked"
2014 The Following Carlos Recurring cast: Season 2
Black Box George Recurring cast
2015 Deadbeat Frank Episode: "The Polaroid Flasher"
2016 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Detective Anton Jefferson Episode: "Manhattan Transfer" & "Unholiest Alliance"
The Night Of Trevor Williams Recurring cast
2016–22 Saints & Sinners Jabari Morris Main cast
2020 Manifest Walter Episode: "Coordinated Flight"

Video games

Year Title Role
2005 The Warriors Additional Soldier
True Crime: New York City [9]
2008 Midnight Club: Los Angeles Henry

References

  1. ↑ Colaneri, Katie (July 5, 2012). ""Super Summer" Arrives In Newark". WBGO. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ Marks, Peter (December 10, 2003). "In 'A.M. Sunday,' an Enigma Wrapped in a Family". The Washington Post. highBeam Research. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Yue, Jordan (June 12, 2012). "J.D. Williams: "I Didn't Want to Keep Doing Characters That Were Evil" ana | News". BET. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Dove (September 19, 2004). "JD Williams: Walking The Wire". AllHipHop. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  5. ↑ TV.com. "Homicide: Life on the Street - Season 7, episode 21: The Why Chromosome". TV.com. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  6. 1 2 Bianculli, David (May 29, 2002). "HBO Show Arrives Under 'The Wire' - Baltimore crime drama suffers by comparison". NY Daily News. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  7. ↑ Spitz, Marc (June 4, 2012). "Maxim Interrogates the Makers and Stars of The Wire". Maxim. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  8. ↑ Rahman, Ray (September 19, 2011). "Watch The Wire's Bodie Push Weight in a FedEx Commercial". Vulture. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  9. ↑ Luxoflux. True Crime: New York City. Activision. Scene: Pause menu credits, 4:29:41 in, VOICE TALENT.
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