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Matthew Williams (born Mark Williams; April 18, 1951) is an American professor, writer, and former television producer.

Career

Before becoming a writer and producer, Williams was an actor, appearing in commercials, theater and as Ben Martin on the CBN soap opera Another Life in the early 1980s.

One of his many credits is creating and executive producing, along with Carmen Finestra and David McFadzean, the TV series Home Improvement. He produced films such as What Women Want. He was a writer/producer for The Cosby Show and A Different World, and wrote the screenplay for Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken.

Williams created the TV series Roseanne, starring comedian Roseanne Barr. Barr became upset learning that he was credited as the creator. During the first season, she refused to say some of his lines and by the thirteenth episode threatened to quit if he wasn't fired. ABC fired him, but he retained "created by" credit for its series run and also for its spin-off The Conners.

Additionally, he has written the play "Between Daylight and Boonville", and directed and co-produced the feature film Where the Heart Is starring Natalie Portman. He also wrote and directed Walker Payne in 2006, starring Jason Patric, Drea de Matteo, and Sam Shepard.

Williams retired from the television industry in 2018. In 2024, he published the book Glimpses: A Comedy Writer's Take on Life, Love, and All That Spiritual Stuff.

Personal life

Williams, whose birth name is Mark, is a native of Evansville, Indiana; he graduated from the University of Evansville and did post-graduate work in theater at The University of New Orleans.

Williams and his wife, Angelina Fiordellisi, have two children. As of 2024, the couple reside in a three-story townhouse in the West Village in Manhattan, New York. Williams has taught at the Columbia University School of the Arts as an adjunct professor. He is a Christian.

Bibliography

• Glimpses: A Comedy Writer's Take on Life, Love, and All That Spiritual Stuff. Forefront Books. 2024. ISBN 978-1637632499.

References

1. ^ "Matt Williams".
2. "Another Life (TV Series 1981–1984) - IMDb". IMDb.
3. "AT IT TURNS OUT, ROSEANNE JUST MAY HAVE BEEN RIGHT". Deseret News. April 8, 1994. Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
4. FINKE, NIKKI (January 26, 1989). "One Big Happy Family? : Why 'Roseanne's' Creator Left Hit Show After Dispute With Its Star". Retrieved May 10, 2018 – via LA Times.
5. "And I Should Know". NYMag.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
6. "The Roseanne revival, and the argument over how TV depicts Trump supporters, explained". vox.com. March 30, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
7. "Roseanne Returns: Is TV Ready for a Trump-Loving Comic With "Nothing Left to Prove"?". hollywoodreporter.com. February 21, 2018. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
8. Barr, Roseanne (March 27, 2018). "From the Archives: Roseanne on Her Life in Television". vulture.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
9. "Barr Becomes The Boss After 'Roseanne' Rift". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
10. "Roseanne Unchained". People. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
11. "Matt Williams Movies & TV". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
12. ^ Cotto, Andrew (June 8, 2024). "How Matt Williams, the Creator of 'Roseanne,' Spends His Sundays". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
13. McBain, Roger (February 11, 2010). "Evansville native drew on family, friends for breakthrough play's characters » Evansville Courier & Press". Courierpress.com. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
14. "Archives". Los Angeles Times. May 23, 1993.
15. Williams, Matt (2024). Glimpses: A Comedy Writer's Take on Life, Love, and All That Spiritual Stuff. Forefront Books. p. 21. ISBN 978-1637632499.

External links

• Matt Williams at IMDb

• 1951 births
• 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights
• 20th-century American male writers
• 21st-century American male writers
• 21st-century American non-fiction writers
• American Christian writers
• American male dramatists and playwrights
• American male screenwriters
• American male television writers
• American showrunners
• American television writers
• Film directors from Indiana
• Home Improvement (TV series)
• Living people
• People from Greenwich Village
• Television producers from Indiana
• University of Evansville alumni
• Writers from Evansville, Indiana
• Writers from Manhattan
• Christians from Indiana