Biography
Gregory Alan Williams is an American actor and author. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, on 12 June 1956, he served in the United States Marine Corps as a combat engineer and journalist before pursuing acting. His professional career began in 1978 with the Penumbra Theater Company in St. Paul, Minnesota. Film credits include Matt Wilder in In the Line of Fire (1993) and Coach Paul 'Doc' Hines in Remember the Titans (2000).
Williams is best known for playing LAPD Officer Garner Ellerbee in the television series Baywatch (1989–1998) and its spin-off Baywatch Nights. He has had recurring roles in Necessary Roughness (2011–2013) as Coach Pat Purnell, Greenleaf (2016–2018) and The Righteous Gemstones (2019–2025). He has also appeared in The Sopranos, The West Wing and films including Hidden Figures (2016) and The Accountant (2016). Williams is the author of several books, including a memoir of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
