Most notably he has been the EMMY-AWARD winning host and Executive Producer of the Montel Williams Show for the past 17 years, one of the longest running daytime talk shows in the history of television. He is currently launching a multi-media business based on the LIVING WELL WITH MONTEL brand which includes an international Living Well TV Show, Living Well products and educational seminars. Montel is also the Creator, Commissioner and CEO of the newly formed ITPL, International Team Poker League which will debut internationally in early 2009.
In January, 2006, WILLIAMS became the national spokesman for the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA), a patient assistance clearinghouse program which has matched over 5 million Americans to public and private patient assistance programs providing them with $13 billion dollars of free or nearly free prescriptions. WILLIAMS enjoys acting and performs whenever his schedule permits. Over the past few years, viewers may have seen him on hit television programs including "All My Children," "American Dreams", "JAG” and most recently in several episodes of “Guiding Light”.
WILLIAMS is also an accomplished author who has published eight books to date, four of which were NY Times Bestsellers. His latest release “Living Well Emotionally” hit bookstores on January 6th, 2009. He is a highly sought after motivational speaker whose spoken to over 3 million people nationwide including many Fortune 500 CEOs.
WILLIAMS is also a successful Fatburger franchisee. He owns the exclusive franchise rights to Colorado and presently operates 5 storefronts with additional stores in development.
Shortly after being diagnosed with MS in 1999, WILLIAMS established the Montel Williams MS Foundation to further the scientific study of MS, provide financial assistance to select organizations and institutions conducting research, raise national awareness, and educate the public. In a short time, the organization has reached several milestones: it has granted over $1.5 million dollars to research; it has supported a study done at the Karolinska institute in Sweden which discovered an MS gene.
WILLIAMS began his professional career in the US Marine Corps in 1974 when he enlisted in his hometown of Baltimore after graduating high school. After six months, he was meritoriously promoted twice, and in 1975, became the first black Marine selected to the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, Rhode Island. Upon graduation from prep school, WILLIAMS received a Presidential Appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., where he studied Mandarin Chinese, and graduated with a degree in general engineering and a minor in international security affairs. He was then selected as special duty intelligence officer, specializing in cryptology.
As Lieutenant Commander, WILLIAMS received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, two Navy Expeditionary Medals, two Humanitarian Service Medals, a Navy Achievement Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals and two Meritorious Service Awards.
WILLIAMS currently resides in New York, NY with his wife Tara.
