Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1951-08-07
- Born Place: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Also Known As:
Stan Davis, William Standford Davis
William Stanford Davis
William Stanford Davis is a veteran American actor with a career spanning over three decades on stage, film, and television, who achieved widespread recognition later in his career. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he is an alumnus of Lincoln University and a longtime member of The Actors Studio, where he is a classically trained artist. Davis worked in various jobs, including in radio, before moving to Los Angeles at age 33 to pursue acting, a path he remained committed to despite the challenges. His extensive list of credits includes guest and recurring roles in popular series like The Big Bang Theory, Ray Donovan (as "Potato Pie"), Curb Your Enthusiasm, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and Snowpiercer. His biggest career breakthrough came at age 70 with the role of Mr. Johnson, the quick-witted and eccentric school custodian on the critically acclaimed ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary (2021–present). Initially a recurring character, he was promoted to a series regular in the second season, a role for which he won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
