His name, Mykelti, means "spirit" or "silent friend" in the Blackfoot language of his grandfather's ancestors, and Williamson got his big break as Bubba, the equally slow-witted friend to "Forrest Gump" (1994) who can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about shrimp. He had been a working actor for 15 years before his breakthrough, usually in supporting roles and often billed as 'Mykel T Williamson', a reworking of his name chosen so people would pronounce it properly. Ironically, when he changed it back, people remembered it for the first time.

Williamson's first professional job in