Comedian Katt Williams’ interview with Shannon Sharpe on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast set the entertainment industry ablaze. He called out many of the biggest names in comedy and roasted some of our favorite celebrities.
However, he also discussed major parts of his life and career in the interview. Here’s our look back at Williams’ personal and professional evolution.
Micah “Katt” Williams was born September 2, 1971, and raised in Dayton, Ohio. He grew up in a strict Jehovah’s Witness household. He was known to be extremely intelligent growing up. In a recent interview, he claims he was reading fluently at age three and was allegedly accepted into college at age seven. We can’t confirm any of that but this is his story. Katt Williams also said that, at five years of age, he was in front of audiences of thousands of people giving performances. He knew that he didn’t want the average career path from a young age, but his parents didn’t support him.
Williams always knew that he didn’t want to go into a traditional career path but his parents did not support him. At only 13 years old, Williams left home to go to Florida after allegedly getting into an altercation with his father. He was homeless in Florida, making money doing odd jobs and spending other portions of his time studying. He only participated in one comedy show while in Florida.
In the 1990s, Williams continued traveling around the country growing up, finding work, and becoming interested in comedy. He would study all of the great comedians and try material at clubs learning how to perform in front of all races of audiences before settling in California. Fast-forward to the jumpstart of his career, “Friday After Next” (he starred in an episode of “NYPD Blue” first, but this movie was his big break). Williams played the iconic character Money Mike in the 2002 film alongside Ice Cube and Mike Epps.
Williams’ first recurring role was playing the character Freddie in ‘The Tracy Morgan Show’ from 2003-2004.
In 2005 Williams voiced the character A Pimp Named Slickback in the hit cartoon series “The Boondocks.” The character appeared in a total of three episodes.
In 2006, Katt Williams performed in his first ever stand-up HBO comedy special, ‘The Pimp Chronicles Pt. 1.’ He financed all of his own stand-up projects.
Williams continued his pimp persona in the 2007 movie “Norbit” alongside Eddie Griffin.
Unfortunately, Williams has been arrested for short time periods several times. His first arrest was at the Los Angeles Airport when a stolen gun was found in his briefcase. In 2012, he was arrested five times in two months for several fights and child endangerment after police found guns in his home. Most of his arrests have been for alleged assault.
In 2014, Katt Williams and rapper Suge Knight were arrested and charged with robbery for stealing a camera from a celebrity photographer.
Katt Williams won his first major award, a Primetime Emmy, in 2018. He won the trophy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Willy in “Atlanta.”
