'Abbott Elementary' Janitor William Stanford Davis Gets a Memoir Deal

By Daniel Okafor

William Stanford Davis landed his breakout role at 70. Now he's writing the book about everything that came first. BenBella Books will publish the actor's memoir, "Don't Mess With the Fat Kid," in hardcover, e-book and audiobook formats.

Davis plays Mr. Johnson, the janitor, on the hit series "Abbott Elementary." That's the role most viewers know. It is not, he insists, the whole story.

What does the memoir cover?

The book will follow Davis' life and career in three parts, per the official description:

• Part one: his childhood in the 1960s in the Ville, a predominantly Black neighborhood in St. Louis.
• Part two: his years as a young man, "fresh off the bus in 'country-ass' Jefferson City" in the early 1970s.
• Part three: his journey, well into his forties, "from addict to working actor, and the years of perseverance, rejection and hard-earned experience that ultimately led to the biggest role of his career."

So: addiction, rejection, and a career that took roughly five decades to break open. Hollywood rarely writes that arc for anyone, let alone publishes it.

Who brokered the deal?

Miles Blim at Aevitas Creative Management, in association with Innovative Artists, sold the memoir to Glen Yeffeth, BenBella's editor and CEO. BenBella is a Dallas-based independent publisher known for its nonfiction list.

Why is Davis writing it now?

Davis addressed that directly in a statement.

"I've wanted to write this memoir for a long time, to honor the road I've taken to get here and to connect with folks who are still on their way," Davis said. "People know me as Mr. Johnson from 'Abbott Elementary,' and while that's the biggest role of my career so far, it's not the whole story."

He continued: "I'm excited to finally share the full story: the struggles, the setbacks, the second chances and the perseverance it took to keep going and get to where I am today. It took me a long time to get here, and the beautiful thing is, I'm just getting started."

That last line does the critical work. An actor announcing a debut memoir at an age when most performers are winding down, and framing it as a beginning, sets the tone for the whole project.

What else is Davis known for?

Beyond "Abbott Elementary," his credits include:

• The Wanda Sykes film "Undercard"
• Apple TV+'s "Swagger"
• HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
• Showtime's "Ray Donovan"
• ABC's "Lincoln Heights"

A character-actor résumé, built slowly, that suddenly has a household name at the top of it.

BenBella has not yet announced a publication date. When it lands, expect the Mr. Johnson audience to show up — and find a considerably longer story waiting.