Steven Williams Movies

Andrew Shea's scabrous and brutal psychological drama Forfeit concerns Frank O'Neal (Billy Burke), a man who once murdered his abusive father as an adolescent, and fled from his home in Los Angeles. Now, after years away from that city, a thirtysomething Frank returns to L.A., accepts a job as an armored car guard, and attempts to re-bond with an old sweetheart, Karen (E.R.'s Sherry Stringfield). But in reality, Frank is a clinical sociopath, scheming and plotting to stage a massive robbery and setting Karen up to take the rap. Frank is also a die-hard religious proselytizer, guided in his pursuits by a domineering, manipulative televangelist who controls everything he says and does. In time, as Frank prepares to execute the robbery, the minister pushes him to the edge of a complete mental breakdown. Gregory Itzin and Wayne Knight (Basic Instinct) co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Given an ultimatum by his wife to have a second child or see their marriage dissolved, Detective Tom Black's life becomes a depressive cycle of alimony and rehab payments for his firstborn as his crooked partner makes life on the job a living hell. Left alone in the world with no one to count on except for himself, the put upon policeman does his best to find a measure of humor in his dire situation while realizing that if it's not happening at home, it's not happening anywhere. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

In this action-thriller, five teenagers are orphaned when their parents are all killed in a massive attack by terrorists. Seeking revenge, a military officer recruits the young people to join a special crack anti-terrorist team, and trains them to search out and destroy groups like the one that claimed their parents' lives. The Elite stars Robin Givens, Jürgen Prochnow, and Maxine Bahns. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Those intrepid LAPD detectives Chase McDonald (Wolf Larson)--the white, reckless one--and Austin Brooks (Steven Williams)--the black, sensible one--continue to dodge bullets, embark upon hectic car chases, and narrowly escape being blown to smithereens as the 60-minute action series L.A. Heat enters its second season. The two protagonists also try really, REALLY hard to avoid imitating Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, the stars of the series' blatant "role model", the Lethal Weapon films. This season's crop of 22 episodes begins with "Fangs", a Night Stalker derivation wherein McDonald and Brooks track down what appears to be a genuine vampire. The obligatory "hero is accused of murder" plotline is the basis of the season's second entry, "F is for Framed"; while another reliable plot hook, a vicious Neo-Nazi organization, figures prominently in Episode Three, "Burning Sanctuary." And of course, no cop show of the 1990s would be complete without the occasional drop-in of a bevy of nearly naked exotic dancers--as witness the season's fourth and fifth episodes, "Strip Show" and "Eyewitness". This last-named episode also serves to introduce Gary Hudson in the role of ruthless, "untouchable" criminal mastermind Bobby Cole, who would remain the detectives' most deadly adversary throughout the rest of the year. Arguably the season's most poignant episode is "Little Saigon", which probes deeply--perhaps too deeply--into the troubled past of Detective August Brooks. And one of the most harrowing installments is "Call of the Wild", in which a desperate Chase must hunt down and neutralize a serial killer before the felon is able to bump off both August and his wife Kendra. Other episodes worth noting include "Faces of Fear", with Chase taking a page out of Miami Vice by going undercover as infamous drug lord Jake Rheams; "In Harm's Way", featuring Tina Louise, of all people, as a homicidal bank robber; and "Legacy of a Buffalo Soldier", an elaborate flashback to the Old West in which Steven Williams plays the dual role of August Brooks and his namesake great-great-grandfather. The series comes to a rousing conclusion with "Vengeance", as McDonald and Brooks defy orders from their police superiors--and the FBI--to take down the elusive Bobby Cole for keeps! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This TV comedy-drama series takes place at Linc's, a Washington, D.C., bar and grill where blacks gather to talk about issues they face in a society dominated by whites. Widower Russell A. "Linc" Lincoln (Steven Williams) runs the tavern, host to a diverse Capitol Hill gang of customers. In the one-hour pilot episode, children's rights activist Eleanor Braithwaite Winthrop (Pam Grier), who's married to a white man, and dynamic lobbyist Johnnie B. Goode (Georg Stanford Brown) discuss a bill she's trying to get through Congress, while Linc is startled by some revelations after his Army daughter Rosalee Lincoln (Tisha Campbell) comes home from Fort Bragg. Other regulars include sharp-tongued waitress CeCe Jennings (Golden Brooks); token white Harlan Hubbard IV (Joe Inscoe), who heads a pedophile senator's staff; Nigerian cabdriver Winston Iwelu (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje); and earthy Eartha (Daphne Maxwell-Reid), a prostitute privy to D.C. dirt when Washington elite unveil secrets in the bedroom. Filmed in Petersburg, Virginia, this series premiered August 1, 1998 on Showtime with a one-hour pilot kicking off the half-hour series. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Area 51: The Alien Interview fuels the debate as to whether aliens are authentic and seek contact with humankind. Area 51 is a top-secret underground military base in the middle of Nevada whose existence government officials long denied. Some believe Area 51 is the center of the U.S. government's clandestine UFO research. Edwards Air Force Base, famous as a test center for classified aircraft and other exotic weapons, controls the strange site. Area 51: The Alien Interview features footage allegedly smuggled out of Area 51 by a mysterious character known only as Victor. Taken through a one-way mirror, the footage depicts an alien creature being questioned by a United States general and his telepathic aide. Viewers will decide for themselves whether this striking film is a true documentation of government efforts to communicate with aliens or an intriguing hoax. ~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide

Plagued throughout his life by fuzzy, disturbing memories, Coloradoan William Coit Jr. (Neil Patrick Harris) realizes that these memories may put a crimp in the happiness of his recent marriage. In his efforts to get at the root of his anxieties, Coit ruminates over his unhappy, unstable childhood -- and his much-married mother Jill (Bonnie Bartlett), who, in addition to her other peccadillos, has cheated her children out of their late father's inheritance. Can it be possible that the wanton Jill actually murdered William's father? And if so, what horrors are in store for Jill's brand-new husband (number ten!) if William does not take immediate action? Based on a true story, Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story first aired October 3, 1995, on the Fox network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy-drama set in the late 1950s, Manny Singer (Ray Liotta) is a songwriter who makes his living penning jingles for radio and television commercials. Manny's wife has recently died, leaving him an emotionally broken man; Manny buries himself in his work rather than deal with his grief. His young daughter Molly (Tina Majorino) is taking it even harder; since her mother's passing, Molly has refused to speak. Manny realizes that he needs help taking care of the house and looking after Molly, so he places an ad looking for a maid who can double as a nanny. After a long series of unsuitable applicants, Manny meets Corrina Washington (Whoopi Goldberg), who isn't much on cooking, cleaning, or domestic chores -- but who strikes an immediate chord with Molly. Corrina gets the job, and her vivacious, unconventional personality brings the joy of living back to the Singer home. A romance also begins to bloom between Manny and Corrina, though Manny quickly discovers that being in an interracial relationship in 1959 is not always easy or pleasant. Joan Cusack and Don Ameche highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this made-for-TV actioner, a stray bullet forced a secret service agent into a wheelchair and early retirement. Much of the story centers on his attempts to adjust to his new life. The rest chronicles his revenge against the gangster that destroyed his life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Canceled by the Fox network at the end of its fourth season, 21 Jump Street returns for an additional season's worth of episodes in off-network syndication. While the basic premise of the series remains the same -- a group of youthful-looking LAPD undercover cops posing as teenagers in order to bust grown-up criminals -- there have been some significant changes in the property during its transition from Fox to syndication. Former co-stars Johnny Depp and Dustin Nguyen have left the series, to be replaced by Michael Benedetti as Officer Tony "Mac" McCann and, briefly, David Barry Gray as Officer Dean Garrett. Also joining the Jump Street squad is former recurring character Joey Penhall (Michael DeLuise), estranged brother of Officer Doug Penhall (played, of course, by Peter DeLuise's real-life brother). Doug himself would undergo a near-death experience after being shot by a perp in the episode "Number One With a Bullet," and upon recovery he would leave the department and take over management of a bowling alley, not so much for his own well-being as for the sake of his orphaned nephew, Clavo (Tony Dakota). By the time the fifth and final season has come to an end, the only regular character remaining from the series' earliest episodes is Officer Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson). Its budget pared down during the series' valedictory season, 21 Jump Street could no longer afford big names (or even moderately big names) as guest stars. However, star-in-the-making Jada Pinkett can be seen in a flashy role in the series' penultimate episode, "Homegirls." ~ All Movie Guide

Made for the TNT cable network, The Court Martial of Jackie Robinson concentrates on the wartime service of major league baseball's first black player. Robinson (Andre Braugher), a star athlete at UCLA, is drafted during World War II. He hopes that his academic record will assure him entry into Officers Candidate School, but the racism inherent in the military at the time puts several roadblocks in his way. After finally making OCS, Robinson's belief in himself is strengthened tenfold--to the point that he refuses to bow to the "Jim Crow" laws regarding the seating arrangements on an Army bus, and is subsequently threatened with a court martial. Stan Shaw costars as boxing great Joe Louis, likewise a victim of prejudice during the war years (the script intimates that Louis was more willing to roll with the punches than Robinson). Ruby Dee, who played the ballplayer's wife in the 1950 film The Jackie Robinson Story, is here seen as Robinson's mother. The Court Martial of Jackie Robinson premiered on October 15, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Johnny Depp and the rest of the familiar cast of regulars report for duty as 21 Jump Street enters its third season. As before, Depp plays Officer Tom Hanson, one of a team of youthful LAPD undercover cops who pose as teenagers in order to bust adult wrongdoers. Newcomers to the series include Yvette Nipar as Tom's girlfriend, Jackie Garrett, who works in the DA's office; and Dennis Booker as Tom's new partner, Officer Dennis Booker (not surprisingly, Tom and Dennis don't get along at first, especially since Tom suspects Dennis -- wrongly, as it turns out -- of being a serial rapist). Other recurring characters during season three include Clavo (Tony Dakota), the orphaned nephew of Tom's co-worker Doug Penhall (Peter DeLuise); Doug's live-in girlfriend, Dorothy (Gina Nemo), who dumps him mid-season; and Blowfish (Sal Jenco), Jump Street's clumsy maintenance worker. Guest stars this season include Dom DeLuise, father of series regular Peter DeLuise; Mario Van Peebles, cast as an aspiring dancer; and Bridget Fonda, playing a homeless teen. Season three of 21 Jump Street concludes with the two-parter "Loc'd Out," in which an outraged Tom Hanson seeks personal vengeance against the punks who seriously wounded his fellow officer Ioki (Dustin Nguyen). ~ All Movie Guide