Texas-born actress Gayland Williams embarked on her film career in Austin, playing a pivotal role in the Merchant Ivory film "Ballad of the Sad Cafe" in 1991. Her extensive television credits include appearances in "Real Stories of the Highway Patrol" and "Unsolved Mysteries". In recent years, she has appeared in films such as "Kings of the Evening", where she played the peeved wife of Bruce McGill, and "Natural Selection", where she portrayed the bossy older sister of Rachael Harris. Notably, her co-star Justin Meeks, who played her son in "Kings", later cast her in his film "Kill or Be Killed". Additionally, she starred in the award-winning short film "Promise Me", which garnered 17 awards and two best actress nominations.
Gayland Williams is a devoted mother to her two sons, who were born to her husband Roger Williams, and resides in Austin, Texas. Prior to her acting career, she taught Science and was awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to pursue a post-graduate environmental study at Princeton University. Her sons have frequently worked as extras in films, including "Gilbert Grape" and "Dazed and Confused". Interestingly, her father, Jerry Turman, was also an actor.
