Monday, October 5, 2009

Willy Williams, The Champion !!!

There are so many people I worked with on the movie sets, but here's one I didn't say much about yet. Willy Williams, an Afro-American Vietnam veteran and ex navy. He didn't talk much about his tours in Nam. But when he did, his face seemed to be frozen, his eyes looking for something in a far distance, his mind, his thoughts back to that war...The killer-instinct woke up in him. Anyone could see it instantly, don't fuck with this guy....
Willy had weird legs, x-knees and flat feet. He always wore his own boots cos wardrobe couldn't provide any that fit on him. So, once I happened to sit in the office of a casting bureau, elbows on my knees, head in my hands and face down (deep thouhjts...:) when a couple of people entered the room. My thoughts were miles away and I didn't pay any attention to these men. But then a pair of shoes entered my 'viewpoint area' , they woke me up....!!! Without looking up I pointed down and said: "I know these feet, I recognize them."... "Willy is it you ???"... I looked up and saw a smile from ear to ear that bursted in a laughter. This little moment strengthened our friendship and lasted for the time we met.

Willy also became champion... well, he won...

This was on the set of Hellcamp, there's a scene were the prisoners ( including Lisa Eickhorn) had to undress. David Light and Bill Kipp had a full front view when they 'desinfected ' them. The prisoners one by one had to raise there arms and were sprayed with something like baby powder. David later told me that he almost forgot to spray when Willie was on. He said: "OMG. that guy !! I've seen a lot, but this beats everything. "
Naïef as I was I asked what he meant... "Didn't you see Willy?" he said, "That guy's an elephant..." The other guys who saw it as well ( I didn't see much of it, cos my position as a guard was on the backside of the camp) agreed with Dave and Willy was pronounced 'The Champion'. This was another ear to ear smile for the winner. I think Willy was proud.....

Cast 'Hellcamp'. Raphael Shultz, Bert Spoor, Steve Rogers, Bill Kipp and Henry Strzalkowski

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