MYKELTI WILLIAMSON: Follow YOUR DREAMS

From Forrest Gump to Law & Order, this actor creates characters fans care about

- Katie Bruno

This fall, Mykelti Williamson will return as ruthless businessman Preston Webb on Law & Order: Organized Crime. "He has aspirations to build an empire along the lines of Walmart or Amazon," Mykelti tells Closer about his kingpin character. "I enjoy him because he really wants to do good and right his wrongs. I like to be able to show that humanity, even if the character is a villain. No one is all good or bad."

Mykelti, 65, has been exploring the human condition as an actor since he was a teenager in guest roles on Starsky and Hutch, The White Shadow, Father Murphy and more. A longtime character actor who also writes and directs, he is best known for portraying Tom Hanks' ill-fated Army buddy Bubba in 1994's Forrest Gump. "That role changed my life by making me kick into gear to prove that the studio didn't just find some quirky-looking guy with a protruding lip for the part," he says. "It was actually an actor character work."

What made you want to become an actor?

I did a play at my mom and my aunt's church. A stage mom had pulled her son out of the play on a Friday night. My aunt called. They got me dressed, and I went and watched the other kids do the play with a script in my hand. By Sunday, we went live, and I was off-book and got a standing ovation. It was that moment when I went, "Wow, this is cool." I was about 7 or 8 years old.

Was your family supportive of you becoming a professional actor?

Kind of. I would describe it as cautiously supportive because no one wants their child to get hurt. A family that knows nothing about Hollywood has heard a lot of good stories like the dream-come-true stories - as well as stories that may terrify them.

What do you consider your big break?