Why Wendell From Justified: City Primeval Looks So Familiar
Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) may have finally left his struggles with Boyd Crowder (Walton Coggins) behind him, but a new, possibly even wilder challenge awaits. Dave Andron and Michael Dinner's "Justified: City Primeval" FX miniseries puts Raylan in a true fish-out-of-water situation when the Detroit Police Department requests his assistance in dealing with the dangerous "Oklahoma Wildman," Clement Mansel (Boyd Holbrook).
"Justified" is one of the best crime shows of all time, so any project bearing the title comes with huge expectations. The makers of "City Primeval" are certainly aware of this, and go all in with a stacked cast that has more than enough talent to answer the "Justified" call. The returning Olyphant and "The Sandman" and "Narcos" star Holbrook receive support from a number of all-stars who have plenty of on-screen experience to draw from, even if you may not immediately remember where you've seen them. One of these "City Primeval" stars is Victor Williams, who plays Wendell Robinson, an experienced Detroit detective who's nearing retirement. Let's take a look at some of the roles you might remember Williams from.
Victor Williams played Deacon Palmer in The King of Queens
Victor Williams started working in front of the camera as early as 1983, but it took a steady stream of guest star turns before he landed his first truly major role in the cast of "The King of Queens," the CBS hit sitcom about deliveryman Dough Heffernan (Kevin James) and his family. Williams' character, Deacon Palmer, is Doug's colleague and good friend, and as such, he often gets drawn into the main character's various schemes. However, "Deac" is generally the most mature guy in their friend group, and tends to avoid the worst shenanigans ... though that's not to say he doesn't make a few mistakes of his own over the course of the series.
"The King of Queens" ran from 1998 to 2007. Williams was part of the cast from the very beginning and appeared in 195 episodes across the show's nine seasons. His skillful performance was recognized with an Image Award nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series in 2007.
He was the tenacious Detective Jeffries in The Affair
Showtime's "The Affair" is a five-season story about cheating and its effects on everyone involved, as told through the eyes of multiple viewpoint characters. However, the series does also focus on more serious things than extramarital affairs, and Victor Williams' Detective Jeffries is in the middle of what just might be the most serious one of them all.
The series revolves around the titular affair between Noah Solloway (Dominic West) and Alison Bailey (Ruth Wilson), but a significant plot point in the series is a hit-and-run incident that involves just one of them but affects both. Due to the mystery surrounding the incident, the case's lead inspector Jeffries becomes a significant recurring character who casts a near-constant shadow over one very particular character, whether he actually appears onscreen or not.
Though mostly known for his "The King of Queens" role when he joined the cast of "The Affair" in 2014, Williams has plenty of experience playing police officers and various authority figures over the course of his career. As such, he brings a legitimate element of gravitas and threat in the lives of not-so-law abiding "The Affair" characters, yet still fits the show's "Roshomon" nature to a tee thanks to his character's penchant for giving conflicting information about his own personal life.
He was Coachman Jim in The Good Lord Bird
2020's "The Good Lord Bird" is a historical drama about real-life abolitionist John Brown (Ethan Hawke) and the lead-up and aftermath of his 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry. The seven-episode Showtime miniseries features a mix of historical and original characters, and Victor Williams joins the show's endgame as one of the latter — though his Coachman Jim is no less influential for being fictional, as he is one of the more notable supporting characters in the show's second half.
As Colonel Lewis Washington's (Brooks Ashmanskas) coachman, Jim enters the show in Episode 5 by confronting Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson) and pointing out some serious flaws in the young man's rallying skills. He returns in the next episode, providing the show with one of its funniest scenes when he and John Cook (Rafael Casal) embark on a mission that presents Washington in a less-than-flattering light. Jim also makes an appearance in the finale.