While he was one of the biggest sitcom stars of the 1970s, Anson Williams has surprisingly few acting credits to his name. His IMDb page lists just 19 credits as an actor, including one-off guest spots on short-lived TV shows like "Bridget Loves Bernie" and "The Paul Lynde Show." Williams' resume as a television director is much more prolific. Once "Happy Days" ended its 11-season run, the star went on to work as a director on hit shows such as "Melrose Place," "Beverly Hills 90210," "Baywatch," and most recently, "The Secret Life of the American Teenager."
In an interview with Smashing Interviews, Williams revealed that he always knew that he wanted to go beyond acting and that it was his "Happy Days" co-star who advised him to get into directing. "Early on in acting I knew I wouldn't be doing it as a career my whole life," Williams said. "I first started creating and writing shows and selling them as a producer. Then it was Ron Howard who said, 'You really should direct.' I ended up attaching myself to shows that I had created because no one would give me a break as a director."
Williams has been directing since 1985, which is just one year after "Happy Days" ended, and his first shot was on an ABC Afterschool Special.
