Cress Williams is currently making us swoon as Jefferson Pierce on The CW's Black Lightning [1], but fans may recognize his (very, very handsome) face from previous roles. Who could forget D'Shawn Hardell on Beverly Hills, 90210 [2], or Terrence "Scooter" Williams on Living Single? Some might even recognize him as Lavon Hayes on the short-lived Hart of Dixie [3], or most recently as Cole Guthrie on CBS's Code Black. Either way, you've definitely seen the 47-year-old on your TV screen before.
His impressive résumé also includes stints on hit shows like ER, The West Wing, Prison Break [5], Grey's Anatomy [6], and Veronica Mars [7]. On the big screen, Williams has acted alongside Denzel Washington [8] and John Goodman in the 1998 thriller Fallen and Drew Barrymore [9] in the 1999 comedy Never Been Kissed. While we appreciate all of the action scenes (and shirtless moments [10]!) with our new favorite superhero, we also admire all of the hard work Williams has put in over the last two decades before landing the heroic role.