AT eight, Mark Anthony Williams said he was bitten by the acting bug. Now 43 years later, he feels he has taken on the most challenging role of his career.

Williams is among the cast of Arnold’s Caribbean Pizza, an American sitcom which is aired Sundays on NBTV, found on channel 156 on Flow. He plays the role of Winston.

“Having to bring the funny every episode isn’t easy. You don’t want the character to be stale or not in touch with the real world,” Williams, who attended Duhaney Park Primary School in St Andrew, told the Jamaica Observer.

Born in the United Kingdom to Jamaican parents, Williams and his family relocated to Jamaica when he was five years old. At 10, the family moved to New York. However, for the past 27 years, he has resided in Los Angeles, California.

After graduating from Mount St Michael Academy High School, Williams then attended The State University of New York at Albany. He later studied acting at Playhouse West in Los Angeles for six years.

He recalled his first time being on television.

“It’s hard to say what my first acting gig was. I’ve worked on a film that didn’t go anywhere or the creators just didn’t complete the project. My first time being on television was in 2000, it was a crime show that did re-enactments of real-life crimes that occurred. It was surreal seeing myself on TV. In 2006 I wrote and produced a short film. It was a great experience seeing an idea that I had actually manifested into a film. I loved the process and since then, I began writing more projects.”

Said Williams, “The journey has been very long. I started in this business when I was 24 and 27 years later, I’m still here. It’s your mindset. If you thrive to be great, create a plan and stick to it, things will happen for you. This industry is filled with rejection and disappointments. At times I wanted to quit and move back to New York but the desire to be great was too strong. Positivity is the strongest thing I can bring to the table. Without that I don’t think I could survive. Creating stories and interesting characters has always been fun for me.”

Williams said he got the role of Winston in Arnold’s Caribbean Pizza after it was offered to him by the show’s executive producer Trenten Gumbs.

“I was introduced to Trenten Gumbs a few years earlier when they were developing the series. When they were ready to shoot the show, I got the call. My character, Winston, is a fun-loving, easygoing laid-back guy. He loves the ladies and uses his charm to get what he wants. He lives with this cousin Melvin because his now ex-girlfriend kicked him out for cheating,” said Williams.

Williams offered some advice for individuals wishing to get into the acting world.

“When new actors ask me for advice, I always give them two words, ‘DON’T QUIT’. You don’t want to be sitting around years from now regretting your decision. It was very difficult to get an agent. Hollywood isn’t kind to new actors and you have to stay grounded and not let the disappointments rule the day. Last year, I auditioned for close to 100 roles and only booked six. The competition is tough and there is always someone right behind you ready to take your place. Being rejected daily or weekly can be hard but if you love what you do, success will find you,” he said.

Williams’ theatre credits include roles in Master Harold and the Boys, Miss Ever’s Boys, The Mighty Gents, Intimate Apparel and Jeffery’s Plan, which garnered him an NAACP Theatre Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2001.

His television credits include Grey’s Anatomy, Saved by the Bell, 911 Lone Star and The Neighourhood. In 2002 the writing began and produced his first short film, The Bathroom. He got behind the camera in 2005 to direct a short film, Flower Shop, which he also wrote and co-produced.