William Stanford Davis, who stars as Mr. Johnson on Abbott Elementary, is turning his life story into a memoir titled Don’t Mess With the Fat Kid. The book traces his life and career across three parts: his childhood in the 1960s in The Ville, a predominantly Black neighborhood in St. Louis; his young adulthood arriving in Jefferson City in the early 1970s; and his decades-long journey from addiction into a working actor, culminating in landing the role of Mr. Johnson at age 70.
Davis said in a statement that he’s wanted to write the book for a long time, framing it as a way to honor the path that led him to his biggest role while also connecting with people still finding their own way, calling his journey one still in motion rather than finished.
Davis’ casting as a breakout character actor in his seventies, after decades of supporting and guest roles, reflects a pattern that’s become increasingly visible in television casting: veteran Black actors finally landing defining roles later in life, after sustained careers largely built on smaller parts across a wide range of shows and films. Before Abbott Elementary, Davis appeared in the Wanda Sykes film Undercard, Apple TV’s Swagger, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, Showtime’s Ray Donovan, and ABC’s Lincoln Heights, among other credits, a résumé built steadily over years before his current, most widely recognized role.
Don’t Mess With the Fat Kid will be published by BenBella Books in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats. The book was sold to BenBella editor and CEO Glen Yeffeth by Miles Blim at Aevitas Creative Management, in association with Innovative Artists. No release date has been announced yet.
With Davis positioning the memoir as the start of a new chapter rather than a retrospective, the bigger story ahead is how his account of addiction, rejection, and late-career success resonates with readers who’ve followed similar winding paths of their own.