Why Katt Williams Felt Like a ‘Terrible Friend’ to Terry Crews
Comedian Katt Williams didn’t consider himself just an acquaintance to Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Terry Crews. He felt they were close pals. It explains why Williams felt a bit of guilt not reaching out to Crews during a very trying time.
Katt Williams felt he was too angry to be helpful to his friend Terry Crews
Williams and Crews first worked alongside each other on the Ice Cube movie Friday After Next. Afterward, both of their careers seemed to go in separate but successful directions. Williams quickly shot to fame as a comedian, and Crews became a successful actor in his own right, appearing in a variety of projects.
In 2017, Crews confided that he was sexually assaulted by a high-power Hollywood agent years ago. Crews’ admission at the time generated a lot of discussion, especially since it was during the peak of the #MeToo movement. Williams was well aware of the allegations Crews made and felt guilty for not reaching out to his co-star. So much so, he deemed himself a bad friend.
“No, no. Like a terrible friend, I have not reached out to my friend in his time of need like I should have,” he once told BET.
But the Emmy winner asserted that his own rage at the situation kept him from contacting Crews. The comedian was concerned that his temper might’ve only made the situation worse.
“The reason I have been unable to do it is because, I’m your angry friend. … We just had somebody who dealt with something like that, and came out and told us, and that person who did it went right back to work? That’s the opposite of how this scenario is supposed to go. And I know that it’s only going down that way because it’s him,” Williams said.
Terry Crews told Katt Williams they could never be forgotten about doing ‘Friday After Next’
Crews and Williams were both beginning to enter mainstream consciousness with Friday After Next. Crews alleged he found his way into the franchise after working as a security guard for the prior film Next Friday. He was famously cast as a character in the film who was attracted toward Williams’ role Money Mike. The White Chicks star knew how big of an opportunity Friday After Next was.
“I remember talking to Katt and saying, ‘If this is the last thing we ever do, they can love us or they can hate us, but we have to make sure they never forget us,'” Crews said, according to Inc. “That was our whole mantra. Do something that will just make everyone’s eyes bug out.”
The two were so good in the movie that Ice Cube told them personally they were the stand-outs in the feature.
“At the premiere, Ice Cube came up to Katt and me and he was like, ‘That whole third act with you and Katt takes over the whole movie,'” Crews said. “And I was like, wow. I got respect from people in the industry because I was willing to go all in.”
Katt Williams originally told Terry Crews to be his authentic self
Williams gave Crews some valuable advice regarding authenticity at the start of their careers. Crews has often tapped into his natural humor to inform his funny, lovable characters. The comedian told Crews years ago that he’d go far if he channeled his real personality through his roles. And given Crews’ success, it seems that he was right.
“He was the security guard for Next Friday, he was guarding the parking lot,” Williams once said in a resurfaced interview on VladTV. “And I was explaining to him, ‘You’re too big for that. You played in the NFL and you’re professional. You know what you should do, Terry? You shouldn’t even play scary, you know why? [Tommy Tiny Lister] already has that covered. IF they want that, let them hire him. You should be your real self. Funny, goofy. Like to dance. You should do that. You should play your real position, I’ll play my real position.”
