American actor Fred Williamson, who starred in a number of blaxploitation movies in the 1970s, has an estimated net worth of $15 million. The former professional football player was born on March 5, 1938, in Gary, Indiana. He played defensive back for the Northwestern Wildcats football team and holds black belts in shotokan karate, taekwondo, and kenpo.
Williamson grew up on the rough streets of Chicago, but was able to rise above them and earned a college scholarship with the Northwestern University football team. He went on to play professionally with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders.
He retired from professional football in 1968 and entered acting, landing a role on the short-lived TV series Half Nelson in 1985. He appeared in more than 100 movies during his acting career and is known for his starring roles in a number of blaxploitation films, including Hammer (1972), That Man Bolt (1973), and Three the Hard Way (1974).
The Indiana native was also a martial arts master with four black belts, and had an impressive physique that was perfect for the action genre. He started his own production company in 1974, Po ’ Boy Productions, and began directing and producing as well.
As of late, Williamson has been working on Italian B-movies that have been released direct-to-video. He has also worked on a few more TV shows and movies. He currently lives in Palm Springs, California, with his wife Linda.
