Fred Williamson Talks w/411 About New Movie Nazi Doomsday Device

The 411 Interview: Fred “The Hammer” Williamson

Fred “The Hammer” Williamson is an action movie icon known the world over for his legitimate tough guy persona. An ex-pro football player turned actor, writer, director, and producer, “The Hammer” has been cranking out movies in the action genre for over four decades, starting out with The Legend of Nigger Charley in 1972, followed by such badass classics as Hell Up in Harlem, Three the Hard Way, The Inglorious Bastards, Warriors of the Wasteland, Soda Cracker, The Black Cobra, Original Gangstas, and countless more (he’s also well known for appearing in the action/horror flick From Dusk Till Dawn). “The Hammer’s” latest effort, Nazi Doomsday Device (also known as Atomic Eden) is now available on Amazon Video UK (check it out here) and Vimeo On Demand (check that out here). In this interview, “The Hammer” speaks with this writer about Nazi Doomsday Device, his career in general, and more.

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Bryan Kristopowitz: How did you get involved with Nazi Doomsday Device?

Fred “The Hammer” Williamson: The director of the film NDD is a good friend of mine and he brought the script to me. After reading the script I was convinced that he understood the image I have and nothing in the story conflicted with my image.

BK: How did you approach your character Stoker?

FTHW: My approach to the character was simple. When you have a fan base the idea is to please them and I am lucky that my personality as a tough guy is not so far removed from the character I show on the screen. Ten years as a pro football player comes through.

BK: Where was Nazi Doomsday Device made?

FTHW: The film was shot in East Germany in Nico Sentner’s hometown.

BK: What was it like working with director Nico Sentner?

FTHW: Nico is a good director but he knows he has a lot more to learn, but then a good director is never satisfied.

BK: What was the most challenging aspect, for you, working on Nazi Doomsday Device? The easiest?

FTHW: There were no big challenges for me. At first I was a little disappointed when I asked where the camera was and he pulled out of his pocket this little Kodak camera. I was a little leery about the look of the movie because I’m a 35mm guy forever. But I guess that’s where we are in the film business these days. Easiest was I was enjoying the locations and the character I was playing.

BK: How has the movie business changed since you got started in the late 1960’s/early 1970’s? What are some of the good things that have happened? What are some of the not so good things?

FTHW: Movies did make a small change in the 70’s. More films with blacks. Hollywood finally woke up to see there was a market they had been missing so they put more blacks in their films. This surge only lasted 4 years. The downfall was they catered these films to blacks against whites. I called them “Payback, do to Whitey what he used to do to us.” This concept was dead after 4 years. I realized this was the wrong approach before I got into the business of being the main star in a film. My idea was to be an equal opportunity ass kicker. I kicked black butt, white butt, purple butt, yellow butt, red butt. If you were a bad guy your butt got kicked. Most of the black stars of that era are gone but The Hammer is still here.

BK: Is it fair to say that you’re a bigger star internationally than in the United States, and if so why do you think that is?

FTHW: True I am bigger in Europe than the states. It’s simple; in Europe I’m an actor, and in the states I’m a black actor. Big difference.

BK: You’ve directed a number of movies in your career. What movie that you’ve directed do you think is the most successful/came out the way you wanted it to?

FTHW: There is no such thing as a perfect movie to a director. A creative person is never satisfied and I’m no different.

BK: Which do you prefer, acting or directing? And how difficult is it to direct and star in something?

FTHW: Acting and directing is a perfect position. You are more involved with the performance of the actors because you are feeding off of them and you also have the power to say “Cut!” and pull an actor over to the side and give them some suggestions as to how to make what they are doing better. Good for everyone.

BK: One of your most well-known movie series is the Black Cobra series. Just how many movies are in the Black Cobra series?

FTHW: There are three Black Cobra movies that I made. The fourth one is a fake. The Italian producer tried to pull a fast one by taking unused footage from the others and then put this fake mess together without telling me. I never saw it but the buyers were pissed when they saw it. There was another one made in the states by a black actor nowhere near the real Black Cobra. Me.

BK: Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?

FTHW: My next projects are a sequel to Old School Gangstas and The Last Hitman to shoot in Italy.

BK: What do you hope audiences take away from Nazi Doomsday Device?

FTHW: Audiences can understand, after so many big budget films are a disaster, it’s the story that counts not how big the budget was.

BK: When did you become a cigar guy and what is your favorite kind of cigar?

FTHW: I started at 10 years old. I used to light my old man’s cigar for him but no puffing. Just light it. My favorite cigar is one that’s so mild it doesn’t make you want to spit.

BK: Do you like it when people call you “The Hammer”?

FTHW: It took me a few years to train folks that The Hammer and Fred Williamson are the same person. It’s my brand of football and taking the bad guys down. The Hammer prevails.

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A very special thanks to Fred “The Hammer” Williamson for agreeing to participate in this interview and to david j. more for setting it up.

Check out Nazi Doomsday Device on Amazon Video UK here.

Check out Nazi Doomsday Device on Vimeo On Demand here.

Check out the Nazi Doomsday Device Facebook page here.

All images courtesy of Generation X Group GmbH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2kOHLBi_KQ