Tyler James Williams gave his take on the ultimate child actor “Mount Rushmore” during a recent interview with Complex.
The Abbott Elementary star—who first gained fame through his childhood roles on Everybody Hates Chris and Let It Shine—named Zendaya and Kieran Culkin among the greats while chatting with Mami Tiff.
“How many people are on Mount Rushmore?” Williams joked before rounding out his list with Natasha Lyonne and Keke Palmer, his former True Jackson, VP co-star.
“I think the big thing is anybody who can make the transition from child actor to adult actor has to be incredibly talented because it’s essentially restarting your career from day one,” he said around the four-minute mark of the interview.
He added, “A big part of it is knowing when and where to elevate. Each one of those people did that at the right time. They didn’t just sit back on being a cute kid who worked before—they found the next gear every time they needed to.”
When asked who looked out for him early in his career, Williams credited his parents, who had backgrounds in the music industry. “They did a really good job of making sure I wasn’t just somewhere for no reason,” he said. “That happens to a lot of kids in the industry—they hear a bunch of people are going to be in a room and feel like they need to be there. My parents made sure wherever I was, it had purpose.”
The transition from child star to acclaimed actor clearly paid off for Williams, who earned a Golden Globe in 2023 for Best Supporting Actor.
