Montel Williams

Montel Williams, is the name behind one of the longest running talk shows in the history of television. An Emmy Award-winning host and the Executive Producer of the Montel Williams Show, Williams reached households across America presenting them with challenging social issues for 17 years.

In September of 2009, the show completed its final season, but can still be seen around the world in a Best of Montel series. Although bittersweet, the finale of the Montel Williams Show marked an important juncture for Williams. It concluded one of the best chapters in his life and opened a door to exciting new opportunities. Williams has signed a multi-year deal with radio syndicator Air America for a daily 3-hour talk radio program entitled Montel Across America slated to begin on April 6th, 2009. This marks Williams debut as a radio personality tackling social, political and economic issues daily along with providing health and wellness information for his listeners.

Battling Multiple Sclerosis and depression daily, Williams has built the Living Well with Montel brand, by incorporating life experience and the information he has accumulated through personal account and professional opinions. Living Well is focused on products that can help consumers live better physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually. In addition to the products available under the brand name, a series of Living Well Live Conferences will launch with an inaugural event on May 12, 2009 in San Diego, CA. Williams has also founded the Living Well with Montel Health Association, which will provide medical discount benefit cards for members for a monthly fee and free pharmacy discount cards. In January 2006, Williams became the national spokesman for the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, PPA, a patient assistance clearinghouse program that has matched over 5.5 million Americans to public and private patient assistance programs providing them with more than $13 billion dollars of free or nearly free prescriptions.

An accomplished author, Williams 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 and has received critical acclaim.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 and JAG. Most recently Williams contributed to the long running dramatic series Guiding Light playing "Clayton Boudreau", which landed him a nomination in 2009 for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Series.

With a list of interests as vast as the eye can see, in April of 2008 Williams saw one of his early passions, Poker, in a whole new light. With a solid plan and an ingenious business model, he created the International Team Poker League. Adding yet another prestigious title to his name, Williams will launch the ITPL internationally in the spring of 2009 as its Commissioner. The ITPL will bring an exciting new format to terrestrial and online poker tournaments culminating in a truly original and engaging TV show.

A true entrepreneur Williams' accomplishments go beyond media and publishing, he 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. The MWMSF has granted over $1.5 million dollars to research and 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.