Meet the Dean

Gregory Alan Williams

The most recent addition to Emmy Award winner Gregory Alan Williams broad list of credits is his series regular role on the new HBO comedy series THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES (Danny McBride, John Goodman). GregAlan also received rave reviews for his series regular role as Robert “Mac” McCready on the groundbreaking OWN network series Greenleaf (Lynn Whitfield, Keith David, Oprah Winfrey).

To date, Williams has appeared in more than fifty feature films, including Terminator Genysis, Misconduct (Josh Duhamel, Al Pacino), Disney’s Million Dollar Arm, Geostorm (Ed Harris, Andy Garcia), Preacher’s Kid (LaToya Luckett), and, the moving, faith-based hit A Question of Faith (Kim Fields) Topping the list are classics such as Remember the Titans (Denzel Washington), In the Line of Fire (Clint Eastwood), Old School (Will Ferrell), and Above the Law (Steven Segal).

Of course, there is also William’s seven seasons as beach cop Garner Ellerbee on the most watched television show in the world, Baywatch—work which is also accompanied by nearly 160 additional career titles, including recurring roles on The Sopranos and The West Wing.

In the summer of 2015, Williams won Best Actor honors at the Christian International Film Festival for his work in the inspirational short film Roses as well as a second regional Emmy Award for his narration of the Vietnam War documentary Iowans Remember Vietnam.

Williams’s career also features stage work with Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson, the Chicago Shakespeare Repertory Theater, the Chicago Theater Company, the Mixed Blood Theater (Mpls), and Chicago’s Goodman Theater. Williams is also a founding member of the world-renowned Penumbra Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In 1992, Williams was heralded nationally as a hero and Good Samaritan for his rescue of a brutally beaten motorist at the intersection of Florence and Normandy during the epicenter of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. Williams responded to these accolades with his first book A Gathering of Heroes, which was hailed as “a moving illumination on the meaning of brotherhood”.

Read GregAlan’s thoughts about his commitment to helping others find success in the industry:

To me it’s like to use a sports analogy, if I’m going to, I’m looking to play in the major leagues, I would love to be coached by somebody who is still playing in the major leagues. Not by someone who hasn’t got out of A ball. So that’s what’s important to me. If I want to be the best, I’m learning from somebody who’s the best, who’s constantly working to this day, who has been working, regularly for decades.

It’s really awesome because you’re not just limited to the books of acting and the books of teaching. All these different books that people are usually throwing at you in acting school. This is just experience, and not negating those methods, but saying that you can incorporate them by learning from the experiences of others.

Actor’s Breakthrough has helped me as an actress because it’s helping me to step out of my comfort zone. Greg Allan has a way of pushing you to do more than what you think you’re capable of and more than what you’re comfortable doing to be completely honest. You’re put in positions and scenes rather where you’re able to stretch your instrument, and your instrument being your body and your acting ability. It’s just helping me to become a better actress, and I’m very, very grateful for it.

Acting is a passion. I’m in the business of taking something and making it come alive. It’s challenging. It’s rewarding. It’s one of the few things I have really had a passion for in my life and pursuing it takes a lot of time, takes a lot of energy and dedication and training, which is one of the things that led me here to Actor’s Breakthrough. Out of all the acting schools in the greater Atlanta area, what I liked most about Actor’s Breakthrough is the information I’m getting. I feel like I’m getting it from a trusted, valuable source. GregAlan Williams has been in the industry for over 30 years. He has a record of work, a body of work that you’re familiar with. What I get out of his classes is invaluable. The little nuances and little tidbits of information he seems to get you, it’s like an epiphany every class. “Oh wow, I didn’t think of that,” or “Mm, it’s a revelation.” It’s great. It’s absolutely great, the information you get here.

I believe that Actors Breakthrough has helped me a great deal as an actor. It’s one thing to be a writer or be in the production aspect of it, which I’m more familiar with, but it’s not an easy thing to act, especially if many different people are teaching you to do many different things instead of just being natural and get a hold of your instincts. That’s really what Greg pushes us to do and I feel like I’ve grown so much already. I know I have a long way to go but I really feel every day that I come to class I’m accomplishing and I’m growing

I was actually referred to Actors Breakthrough from some other actors on a set that I was on and I got very excited. They were very professional and they said such wonderful things about the classes, so I went online, saw the website. I came in and observed a class. I just soaked it up like a sponge. The energy and the passion that Greg gives to the students, I really could not wait to be a part of the class and have the experience

I kind of needed a fresh start. Not that I’ve been in the business a long time or anything, but this has just invigorated everything for me

Bar none, hands down. The best, the best acting school. Definitely, in Georgia

I studied somewhere else and since I’ve been here at actor’s breakthrough it’s like I wasn’t getting fed. I’ve grown so much as an actor just in the small time I’ve been here

My daughter Nysa has been attending classes for the past few weeks and loves it! Mr. GregAlan challenges her and gives outstanding feedback! Thankful, BLESSED to have found this class!

Bridget Gray-Morris

Whew! GregAlan Williams Actor’s Breakthrough is with out a doubt, THE best acting school I have EVER attended. I am learning so much about the actual craft of acting. Knowing and understanding scripts, self taped auditions and monologues. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. Im so excited to learn more. Thank You again for allowing me to be apart of the GregAlan Williams Actor’s Breakthrough Family.

Razfier Yelrch

Really enjoying the class. It’s giving me that next level confidence, direction and insight that I need to take my acting to “non-acting”.

MEET THE DEAN

Gregory Alan Williams

Read GregAlan’s thoughts about his commitment to helping others find success in the industry:

Bridget Gray-Morris

Razfier Yelrch

Tony Richard