Tyler James Williams has always been a star. He shined as Chris in Everybody Hates Chris, the sitcom inspired by the upbringing of comedian Chris Rock, shyly pursued a rap career as Cyrus DeBarge, aka Truth, in Disney’s Let It Shine, and now he continues to capture the hearts of fans as teacher Gregory Eddie in Abbott Elementary.

During a recent Actors on Actors conversation presented by Variety, Williams sits down with fellow thespian Anthony Mackie to recall his career trajectory, which wasn’t the average path for someone who has been acting since the age of four. 

“You’ve been doing this for a long time and in a way that a lot of actors have not been able to,” Mackie told Williams. “Looking at your career, there’s a certain dignity that came with it. You’ve been in it since before Everybody Hates Chris. How did that work, blowing up at a young age and transitioning to a professional adult actor?”

“I never wanted to be a nostalgia artist. It was always about going down the road and seeing what was next,” Williams, now 31, explained.

“I had to fight for my career to survive, and I feel like if that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t have gone as hard as I did,” he added. “I was fighting for staying power — fighting to say that I wasn’t just a cute kid who could land a joke now and then.”

He even admits to not feeling secure in his career until the film Detroit, the 2017 crime drama based on the Algiers Motel incident that took place during the 1967 Detroit riots when armed police officers entered the motel and interrogated at least 12 people, killing three Black men by the end of the night and traumatizing and injuring several others. Inspired by real-life events, the movie follows the historic incident where three of the Detroit Police Department members were charged with the murders before they were ultimately later acquitted by an all-white jury. The film starred John Boyega, Algee Smith, and Anthony Mackie.

“I didn’t start to feel stable in it until we did Detroit. Everyone has that period when you have a role here and there to ‘No, I’m going to consistently work with great people,’” Williams continued.

Throughout the conversation, Mackie and Williams take moments to give one another their props and recount their respective career journeys. At one point, Mackie teases Williams about growing into his looks.

“You was a weird-looking kid, and you grew up to being a good-lookin’ dude,” Mackie joked.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Onsite! (@its_onsite)

“I wanna say we were all weird-looking kids,” Williams quipped back. “Mine was just documented, I haven’t seen your photos, but yeah to go from there to here, it’s been a beautiful journey.”

RELATED CONTENT: We Don’t Mess With You Anymore” Tyler James Williams Says Some Black Folks Shunned Him For Playing A Gay Character