William Stanford Davis is our breakout star from Abbott Elementary! He shares with us how he landed the role of Mr. Johnson and his career in entertainment

William Stanford Davis is the embodiment of never giving up on your dreams because you just never know when it will be your moment. He hails from St. Louis, Missouri, and has close to 100 credits to his name. From recurring roles on hit television shows such as Showtime’s Ray Donovan, TNT’s Snowpiercer and Lincoln Heights to recently guest starring on Curb Your Enthusiasm, he has invested his time in the industry. However, it is his recent role as “Mr. Johnson” in the Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning hit tv series Abbott Elementary that people are unilaterally taking notice of his brilliance to the screen.

“I give a shoutout to the late bloomers,” said Davis.

Cox: You have put in the time, and now this is the role where people universally recognize you. Tell me what kept you going all these years without giving up.

Davis: I have to say my faith. I felt like as long as I did the work, something great would happen. I immersed myself in the craft, and I just tried to stay as positive as I could. In this industry, you will have some mean and lean times, which can happen multiple times. So, in hand with keeping my faith, I constantly surrounded myself with good people. Making a point to do this has helped keep my focus on the work and, at times, helped me take my focus away to enjoy life.

Davis (contin): As a seasoned vet in this industry, acting has been my main focus, as well as writing and directing, but you have to have other interests, of which I have several, to help keep me from staring at the phone, looking (laughs).

Davis: Michael, have you heard when people say they just know?

Cox: Yes

Davis: See, I just knew that sooner or later, it was going to be my time. So, I kept the faith and kept going.

Cox: Was there any particular feeling in knowing your time was coming now?

Davis: Yes! It was when I had recently done a series of heavily recurring roles on several series (laughs) where in some of the shows, I was in every episode, and in others, I was in just a few. I knew that my time was coming … I could just feel it.

Cox: Did you know after auditioning for Mr. Johnson that you would get the role?

Davis: I just told someone the other day that I have developed this muscle where you just leave the audition there after you complete it. This takes actors a while to develop, but once you get it down it becomes easy. For example, let’s say you have three auditions in a day – by the time you go from the first two, to the last one, you forget about them.

Davis (contin): With this particular audition, we shot it when COVID restrictions were still largely in full effect. I honestly forgot about it after we sent it in and it wasn’t until weeks later that my wife, who also doubles as a manager, told me I got the job. I asked her “what job?”, and she said “the janitor on the show you auditioned for”. Back then, it was under a different name, and wasn’t called Abbott Elementary yet.

William shared that this is instrumental in anyone’s career trajectory in acting. Once you work on multiple projects and get consistency going and people start to notice you, you build stronger

relationships within the casting community. He urges people to hang in there even when they might just be securing recurring or guest star roles. You are here in this industry for a reason, so don’t give up.

“I always tell young actors if this is something you want to do and you love it, you can’t quit,” Davis continued.

Cox: Now I want to know your origin story. What got you into acting?

Davis: I had always been in the business of entertainment. I started out DJing in social clubs and other venues at the age of 14. I was even in a pop band that did well in St. Louis. It wasn’t until I attended this program for three summers consecutively at Webster University that I knew acting was for me. During the program, I saw the Negro Ensemble Company perform, and I was completely blown away. That’s when I decided this is what I would do for the rest of my life.

Cox: What is it about acting and entertainment that you love? Why does it drive you?

Davis: It’s the craft. Acting is all make-believe, and as an actor, you bring a character to life. It’s the magic in doing this that I love. You get to put your spin on the character. Even if another actor has played that same character, you get to make each role your own.

Davis (contin): It’s also about getting to see the role and project blossom into something great. It’s like that with Abbott Elementary, where I’m surrounded by a truly stellar cast. It’s so much fun, and we just have a great time together. I’m constantly amazed by seeing these young actors’ work. Everyone is younger than me (laughs). It’s just amazing to see their talent on screen. You don’t always get to see it in the moment when you are filming with your costars, but when you go back and look at the episode, you see each member’s talent shine through.

Davis (contin): So, back to your original question, the love I have for the craft comes from seeing all of it come together in the end. That’s where the magic happens.

Cox: Before we end, I would like to ask you what advice you would give to any actor who feels that their moment isn’t happening even though they keep putting in the work.

Davis: First of all, it’s only about the work. It can’t be about getting the job. Your drive for working in this industry needs to be centered around developing your craft. Even if you aren’t working, I tell emerging actors to get in a play or take a class. They need to stay working on their skills regardless. I think of actors’ training just like athletes – who train all year-round. I always say, work on your craft, and the gigs will come.

Photo Credit: Bobby Quillard