Walter Williams (comedian filmmaker)
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Walter Williams is a filmmaker and comedy writer, most famous for his "Mr. Bill" shorts that aired on the television series Saturday Night Live.
Williams was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. In the 1970s he worked as a dj at a French Quarter bar. He did comedy sketches, some over local radio, with his friend Vance DeGeneres. Williams became interested in film. Creating the first "Mr. Bill" short on Super-8 film for a budget of less than $20, it was first aired on a local UHF TV show. He submitted it to Saturday Night Live where Mr. Bill was a hit. Williams made more Mr. Bill shorts, moved to New York City, and was hired as a full time writer for Saturday Night Live for the 1978 through 1980 seasons.
Willams has performed as stand up comedian and produced a number of advertisements for such companies as Pizza Hut and Lexus, and aired comic shorts on The Tonight Show.
Williams made films for the American Broadcasting Corporation series Into the Night.
Starting in the 1990s, Williams created more serious films, including documentaries for the Public Broadcasting Service on such subjects as the Battle of New Orleans and the erosion of Louisiana's wetlands.
The later topic and related flood control and environmental issues has been a focus of Williams' work; he produced a series of shorts featuring animated wetland and sea creatures called "The Estuarians" together with Mr. Bill to draw attention to the region's issues, with the tag line "Do something, before it's too late". With Hurricane Katrina in 2005, scenes such as Mr. Bill taking refuge on the roof of his flooded out house in New Orleans seemed prophetic (see: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans).
Walter Williams reigned as King of the Krewe du Vieux for the first New Orleans Mardi Gras parade after Katrina.
