William Stanford Davis, who stars in “Abbott Elementary” as the janitor Mr. Johnson, is publishing a memoir titled “Don’t Mess With the Fat Kid” via BenBella Books.
“Don’t Mess With the Fat Kid” will dive into Davis’ life and career — including struggles such as addiction and rejection — and the experience of nabbing his breakout role at age 70. Per the official description, Davis’ story is written in three parts: “The first will chronicle Davis’ childhood in the 1960s in the Ville, a predominantly Black neighborhood in St. Louis. The second will follow him as a young man, fresh off the bus in ‘country-ass’ Jefferson City in the early 1970s. The final section will chronicle Davis’ journey, well into his forties, from addict to working actor, and the years of perseverance, rejection and hard-earned experience that ultimately led to the biggest role of his career.”
“Don’t Mess With the Fat Kid” was sold to BenBella Books editor and CEO Glen Yeffeth by Miles Blim at Aevitas Creative Management in association with Innovative Artists. It will be released in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats.
Besides “Abbott Elementary,” Davis’ credits include the Wanda Sykes film “Undercard,” Apple TV’s “Swagger,” HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Showtime’s “Ray Donovan” and ABC’s “Lincoln Heights.”
“I’ve wanted to write this memoir for a long time, to honor the road I’ve taken to get here and to connect with folks who are still on their way,” Davis said in a statement. “People know me as Mr. Johnson from ‘Abbott Elementary,’ and while that’s the biggest role of my career so far, it’s not the whole story. I’m excited to finally share the full story: the struggles, the setbacks, the second chances and the perseverance it took to keep going and get to where I am today. It took me a long time to get here, and the beautiful thing is, I’m just getting started.”