| Matt Williams | |
| Birth Name: | Mark Williams |
| Birth Date: | 18 April 1951 |
| Birth Place: | Evansville, Indiana, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | University of Evansville |
| Occupation: | Television producer, television writer, professor |
| Years Active: | 1980s–2018 (television) |
| Spouse: | Angelina Fiordellisi |
| Children: | 2 |
Matthew Williams (born Mark Williams; April 18, 1951) is an American professor, writer, and former television producer.[1]
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.[2]
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.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
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.[11]
Williams retired from the television industry in 2018.[12] In 2024, he published the book Glimpses: A Comedy Writer's Take on Life, Love, and All That Spiritual Stuff.[12]
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.[13] [14]
Williams and his wife, Angelina Fiordellisi, have two children., the couple reside in a three-story townhouse in the West Village in Manhattan, New York.[12] Williams has taught at the Columbia University School of the Arts as an adjunct professor.[1] He is a Christian.[15]