At the end of the nineties, William Stanford Davis He was very optimistic about the outcome of his audition for the popular series friends. According to what he said rolling stone, He was so confident in his audition that he thought they would call him to hire him for the short position he was applying for. However, the response was devastating. A comment like that would have alienated anyone.
“They’ve asked me to change jobs, and maybe I should go back to working as a telemarketer“I was in shock,” Davis revealed to the magazine.
However, this setback prompted Davis to redouble his efforts and hone his skill. “That was fire for me. I will never let anyone say something like that about my business again.He participated in another interview with Hollywood Reporter.
This is one sign of the determination of William, who finally found fame at the age of 72. The series that changed his life Abbott Elementaryan Emmy-nominated popular comedy in which he plays Mr. Johnson, a school janitor.
As he reveals in his interviews, he moved to Los Angeles in 1984 with the firm conviction of becoming a professional actor. Her career since then has been a series of small roles in soap operas such as The bold and the beautiful And EmotionsAnd appearing in series such as Ali McBeal And Ray Donovan.
Throughout that time, he never stopped pursuing his dream of landing a regular role in a TV series.
“You learn to live with recurring characters,” Davis says. “You work, the money comes in, you can pay your bills… But something in [Abbott] I felt different. When they made me a permanent fixture in the series, the feeling was unbelievable. My wife and I cried with joy“Ve said Rolling Stone.
The opportunity to be a part of Abbott Elementary It marked a before and after in Davis’ life. In the Comedy series Created by Quinta Bronson, Davis plays Mr. Johnson, a janitor at the fictional Willard R. Abbott Elementary School in Philadelphia. The character, who combines humor and depth, connects with the audience and becomes even more important in the third season.
“Fifth, you not only changed my life, you changed my family’s future“, he stated enthusiastically in Hollywood Reporter. “I changed the future of everyone around me in a very personal way.”
Mr. Johnson has a special connection with the film’s viewers Abbott Elementary. Fiction introduces a character with humor, but also assigns a specific story to them. There is an intelligence and humanity to the performance of Davis, who says he was inspired by the janitors he met during his classroom experience.
They are not only responsible for cleaning the school. “They knew everything. They knew which kids were smoking in the boys’ bathroom.. They knew which kids were up to harm. This is Mr. Johnson. “He has eyes everywhere,” he explained. Rolling Stone.
“We’ll see him become a bigger part of the programme. He’s been this guy all over the world and we’ll see a little bit about his education and knowledge. He’s not just a conspiracy theorist – although he is very obscure – but he’s very knowledgeable,” he commented.
After the end of Season 3, the actor mentioned the reception he received Abbott Elementary To janitors and teachers in real life. Above all, because it highlights a problem with public school salaries and funding. “They like it to be clear what they are doing. I take this point seriously. You have to pay the teachers“He told the media.
In February 2024, the comedy was renewed for a fourth part. In Latin America, the first two seasons can be found on the platform star+.
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