Tyler James Williams, the Emmy-winning star who holds down the classroom on Abbott Elementary, is getting candid about the price of childhood fame. From carrying the hit show Everybody Hates Chris to thriving now, Williams has often referred to his unconventional upbringing in the spotlight as “traumatic,” admitting he had to hit therapy to cope with the mental struggles that came from growing up in front of the world.
Now, in a powerful new interview, Williams is breaking down the professional trauma he faced and why he’s putting the young actors on the Abbott set on game.
The Disrespect and the Reset Button
Williams says one of the hardest parts of being a child star was the lack of respect, even though he was often putting in more work than the adults around him.
“What was very difficult was the amount of people who didn’t respect me as an actor and as a child. You can hear that. You can hear somebody talking to you like a child. Although a lot of times, at that point, I was doing more TV than most adults,” he shared.
He then laid out the harsh industry truth that hits Black child actors particularly hard: once you turn 18, all your past accolades essentially disappear, and you have to start over. Williams realized no one had prepared him for that jarring reset.
The Game Plan for the Abbott Kids
Because he had to figure out this harsh reality the hard way, the “Let It Shine” star is now mentoring the young talent on the Abbott set, making sure they and their parents are ready for the switch-up.
Williams is adamant that the kids need to know the clock is ticking on simply being cute and charismatic.
“We have a lot of kids on Abbott, and every now and then, a parent will ask me, ‘What should I do?’ and ‘How should this go?’ and I make sure they know that you can do whatever you want to do right now,” Williams advised. “But when she turns 18 or he turns 18, this is all going out the door, and they have to start over anyway.”
His key message? Prepare them to bang with the adults. He stresses that the kids must train hard and be ready to step into a professional world where childhood fame doesn’t mean a thing.
This vulnerability from Williams is a vital message for the culture, highlighting the hyper-scrutiny and unique challenges faced by Black child stars trying to evolve their careers and mental health in the public eye.
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