Cynda Williams
Encyclopedia
Cynda Williams is an American
television and film actress.
changed her first name to "Cynda" to avoid conflicts with another actress listed by the Screen Actors Guild
(See: Cindy Williams
).
's Mo' Better Blues
and One False Move
as well as the Tales of the City
Channel 4
/PBS miniseries.
With the success of the single, Williams had been lined up with Sony
to produce her own album. While she was trained in a variety of genres, jazz became pressed on her after the success of "Harlem Blues." The album was shelved following internal disagreements at Sony.
from 1990 until 1992. She then married actor Arthur Louis Fuller in 1993 before divorcing in 1998. Her current marriage is to former college football
star and television producer, Roderick Plummer, whom she married in 2001.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television and film actress.
Early life
Born in Chicago, Illinois as Cynthia Williams, she was known by her birth name of Cindy Williams until she started her film career. At that time, the graduate of Ball State UniversityBall State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
changed her first name to "Cynda" to avoid conflicts with another actress listed by the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
(See: Cindy Williams
Cindy Williams
Cynthia Jane "Cindy" Williams is an American actress best known for starring in the television situation-comedy series Laverne & Shirley, in the role of "Shirley Feeney", and for her role as Laurie Henderson in the classic film American Graffiti.-Early life:Williams was born in Van Nuys,...
).
Acting career
Williams has been featured in films on both television and in the cinema. Her first appearance in a feature film was in Spike LeeSpike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
's Mo' Better Blues
Mo' Better Blues
Mo' Better Blues is a 1990 drama film starring Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, and Spike Lee, who also directed. It follows a period in the life of a fictional jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam as a series of bad decisions result in his jeopardizing both his relationships and his playing career...
and One False Move
One False Move
One False Move is a 1992 thriller film co-written by Billy Bob Thornton. The film, also starring Thornton, Bill Paxton and Cynda Williams was directed by Carl Franklin. The low-budget B-movie was to be released straight to home video when it was finished. The film became popular through word of...
as well as the Tales of the City
Tales of the City (miniseries)
Tales of the City is a 1993 television miniseries based on the first of the Tales of the City series of novels by Armistead Maupin.To date, the first three books in the sequence have been adapted into television miniseries; the first, Tales of the City, was produced by the UK's Channel 4 and was...
Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
/PBS miniseries.
Music career
While most well-known for her involvement in the movie industry, Williams had a brief stint in the music industry in 1990 with her appearance on the soundtrack to Mo' Better Blues, on the song "Harlem Blues." The single was popular, reaching #9 on the R&B charts on November 17, 1990.With the success of the single, Williams had been lined up with Sony
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
to produce her own album. While she was trained in a variety of genres, jazz became pressed on her after the success of "Harlem Blues." The album was shelved following internal disagreements at Sony.
Personal life
She has been married three times. Her first marriage was to actor Billy Bob ThorntonBilly Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...
from 1990 until 1992. She then married actor Arthur Louis Fuller in 1993 before divorcing in 1998. Her current marriage is to former college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
star and television producer, Roderick Plummer, whom she married in 2001.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1990 | Mo' Better Blues | Clarke Bentancourt | |
| 1992 | One False Move | Lila "Fantasia" Walker | |
| 1993 | Ghost Brigade Ghost Brigade Ghost Brigade is a 1993 supernatural horror film set during American Civil War and directed by George Hickenlooper. Starring Corbin Bernsen, Adrian Pasdar, and Martin Sheen, the film was also released under the alternate titles The Killing Box and Grey Knight.-Synopsis:When slave traders bring back... |
Rebecca | Alternative titles: Grey Knight and The Killing Box |
| 1995 | Wet | Davida Urked | |
| Condition Red | Gidell Ryan | ||
| The Tie That Binds | Lisa-Marie Chandler | ||
| 1996 | Gang in Blue Gang in Blue Gang in Blue is a 1996 film co-directed by Melvin Van Peebles and his son, Mario Van Peebles, about a black police officer who discovers a cell of white supremacist vigilantes within his department.-Cast:*Mario Van Peebles as Michael Rhodes... |
Anita Boyard | |
| Spirit Lost | Arabella | ||
| Tales of Erotica Tales of Erotica - Shorts featured :* The Dutch Master *The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch *Vroom Vroom Vroom *Wet... |
Davida Urked | Segment: Wet | |
| Black Rose of Harlem | Georgia | Alternative title: Machine Gun Blues and Pistol Blues | |
| The Sweeper | Diane | ||
| 1998 | Caught Up Caught Up (film) Caught Up is a 1998 American crime-drama film written and directed by Darin Scott. The film stars Bokeem Woodbine and Cynda Williams.-Plot:... |
Vanessa Dietrich/Trish | |
| Relax...It's Just Sex Relax...It's Just Sex Relax...It’s Just Sex is a 1998 gay-oriented romantic comedy film.... |
Sarina Classer | ||
| The Last Call | Alternative title: Stingers | ||
| 2001 | March | Angela Walsh | |
| MacArthur Park | Alicia | ||
| 2003 | With or Without You With or Without You (film) With or Without You is a 2003 comedy-drama film, directed by G. Stubbs. The film stars Cynda Williams, Mushond Lee, and Wendy Raquel Robinson.-Plot:... |
Cheri Fontenot | |
| 2004 | Shooter | Coach Mary | |
| 2006 | When Do We Eat? When Do We Eat? (2006 film) When Do We Eat? is a 2006 American comedy film. It is rated R for drugs, sex, and suggestive content.-Plot:When Do We Eat? is the story of a dysfunctional Jewish family's Passover Seder. This is the family's first Seder in three years and the tension is high. Before the Seder, Zeke slips his... |
Grace | |
| 2007 | Frankie D | Barbara | |
| Divine Intervention | Sister Grier | ||
| 2008 | Beautiful Loser Beautiful Loser (film) Beautiful Loser is a 2008 film.The film concerns a group of high school buddies before moving the action forward to reveal the characters two decades later. Reggie is the wild card of this group of friends. Perpetually single and lacking ambition, he is prone to making inappropriate comments to... |
Dennice (Adult) | |
| Tru Loved Tru Loved Tru Loved is a 2008 independent feature film written and directed by Stewart Wade.-Plot:Sixteen-year-old Tru has been raised in San Francisco by two lesbian mothers and two gay fathers... |
Lisa | ||
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | Tales of the City | D'orothea/Dorothy Wilson | Miniseries Miniseries A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term... |
| 1995 | Fallen Angels Fallen Angels (TV series) Fallen Angels was an American neo-noir anthology television series that ran from 1993 to 1995 on the Showtime pay cable station and was produced by Propaganda Films. No first-run episodes were shown in 1994.... |
Deletha | Episode: "Fearless" |
| 1997 | New York Undercover New York Undercover New York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to... |
Erica Rockler | 1 episode |
| 1998 | The Wedding The Wedding (TV miniseries) The Wedding is a 1998 television miniseries directed by Charles Burnett. Based on a novel by Dorothy West, it stars Halle Berry, Eric Thal, and Lynn Whitfield, and was produced by Harpo Productions... |
Liz Odis | Miniseries |
| 1999 | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge Introducing Dorothy Dandridge Introducing Dorothy Dandridge is a television film directed by Martha Coolidge. Filmed over a span of a few weeks in early 1998, the film was aired in the United States on August 21, 1999. The original music score was composed by Elmer Bernstein. The film is marketed with the tagline: "Right woman.... |
Vivian Dandridge | Television movie Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| 2000 | The Courage to Love | Cecelia Delille | Television movie |
| Hidden Blessings | Brandy Taylor | Television movie | |
| 2003 | Violation | Rita Washington | Television movie |
| 2006 | Our House Our House (TV movie) Our House is a 2006 television movie made for Hallmark Channel that premiered in May 2006. It stars Doris Roberts as a lonely socialite who takes a group of homeless people into her home... |
Nurse | Television movie |
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Independent Spirit Award | Nominated | Best Female Lead | One False Move |