Tennessee Williams
Biography
Thomas Lanier Williams III was born on March 26, 1911, in Columbus, Mississippi, United States. He was an American playwright and screenwriter known by his pen name Tennessee Williams. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama. At age 33, after years of obscurity, Williams became famous with the success of The Glass Menagerie in 1944 in New York City. His string of successes included A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Sweet Bird of Youth, and The Night of the Iguana. He had 84 known credits in writing and died on February 24, 1983, at the age of 71.
Career overview
Thomas Lanier Williams III, known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Born on March 26, 1911, in Columbus, Mississippi, he is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama, alongside contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller.
At the age of 33, following years of obscurity, Williams achieved sudden fame with the success of The Glass Menagerie in New York City in 1944. This production marked the beginning of a string of major successes that included A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1955, Sweet Bird of Youth in 1959, and The Night of the Iguana in 1961. With his later work, Williams attempted a new style that did not appeal as widely to audiences, and some critics wrote negatively about excesses in his works, which may have been a reflection of criticism directed at his sexual orientation.
Throughout his career, Williams accumulated 84 known credits in the writing category. He passed away on February 24, 1983, at the age of 71.
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Career timeline
Full Filmography
98 titles- A Streetcar Named Desire (2025) Writer
- Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation (2021) as Self - Playwright (archive footage)
- The Glass Menagerie (2021) Writer
- National Theatre Live: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2018) Writer
- National Theatre Live: A Streetcar Named Desire (2014) Theatre Play
- National Theatre Live: A Streetcar Named Desire (2014) Writer
- Here Without Me (2011) Theatre Play
- Le Paradis sur terre (2011) Writer
- Beautiful Darling (2010) as Self (archive footage)
- The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (2008) Writer
- Suddenly, Last Summer (2007) Writer
- Akale (2004) Theatre Play
- The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (2003) Novel
- The Yellow Bird (2002) as Narrator (voice)
- The Yellow Bird (2002) Writer
- Desire (2002) Idea
- A Streetcar Named Desire - The San Francisco Opera World Premiere (1998) Writer
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1995) Writer
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1995) Theatre Play
- Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage (1994) as Self (archive footage)
- Suddenly, Last Summer (1993) Author
- Suddenly, Last Summer (1993) Writer
- The Night of the Iguana (1991) Author
- Rubber Woman (1991) Author
- Orpheus Descending (1990) Writer
- 27 Wagons Full of Cotton (1990) Writer
- Een vreemde liefde (1990) Theatre Play
- Lady Vaselina (1990) Theatre Play
- The Drift (1989) Novel
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1989) Original Story
- Sweet Bird of Youth (1989) Writer
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1989) Writer
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1987) Novel
- The Glass Menagerie (1987) Writer
- Orpheus Descends to Hell (1986) Writer
- Noir et blanc (1986) Original Story
- Alfarysa (1986) Writer
- The Piper (1985) Novel
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1984) Theatre Play
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1984) Theatre Play
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1984) Writer
- American Playhouse (1982) Theatre Play
- American Playhouse (1982) Writer
- Bourbon Street Blues (1979) Writer
- The Kennedy Center Honors (1978) as Self
- Sweet Bird of Youth (1978) Author
- Cat on Fire (1977) Original Story
- Cat on Fire (1977) Theatre Play
- O Gesto, a Festa, a Mensagem - Dois Mil Anos de Teatro (1976) Theatre Play
- The Eccentricities of a Nightingale (1976) Writer
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1976) Writer
- Talk to Me Like the Rain (1976) Writer
- Midi Première (1975) as Self
- The Migrants (1974) Story
- The Glass Menagerie (1973) Theatre Play
- Tennessee Williams' South (1973)
- Monday's Theater (1972) Writer
- Begegnung mit Tennessee Williams (1972) as Self - Interviewee
- Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970) Theatre Play
- Dragon Country (1970) Theatre Play
- The Glass Menagerie (1969) Novel
- The Dick Cavett Show (1968) as Self - Guest
- Boom! (1968) Theatre Play
- Boom! (1968) Screenplay
- Hilsen fra Bertha (1968) Writer
- NET Playhouse (1966) Writer
- CBS Playhouse (1966) Writer
- This Property Is Condemned (1966) Theatre Play
- Ten Blocks on the Camino Real (1966) Writer
- The Glass Menagerie (1966) Writer
- BBC Play of the Month (1965) Writer
- Thirty-Minute Theatre (1965) Writer
- Orpheus steigt herab (1965) Writer
- The Night of the Iguana (1964) Theatre Play
- Sweet Bird of Youth (1962) Theatre Play
- Period of Adjustment (1962) Theatre Play
- The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961) Novel
- Summer and Smoke (1961) Theatre Play
- The Fugitive Kind (1960) Screenplay
- The Fugitive Kind (1960) Theatre Play
- Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) Theatre Play
- Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) Screenplay
- Small World (1958) as Self
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) Theatre Play
- Three Plays by Tennessee Williams (1958) Writer
- Baby Doll (1956) Screenplay
- Baby Doll (1956) Theatre Play
- The Rose Tattoo (1955) as Man at Mardi Gras Club (uncredited)
- The Rose Tattoo (1955) Screenplay
- The Rose Tattoo (1955) Theatre Play
- Senso (1954) Dialogue
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Theatre Play
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Screenplay
- The Screen Director (1951) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- The Glass Menagerie (1950) Screenplay
- The Glass Menagerie (1950) Theatre Play
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Theatre Play
- Camino Real Story
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Tennessee Williams best known for?
Tennessee Williams is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Sweet Bird of Youth (1989), American Playhouse (1982), American Playhouse (1982), The Kennedy Center Honors (1978).
When and where was Tennessee Williams born?
Tennessee Williams was born on March 26, 1911 in Columbus, Mississippi, USA. They passed away on February 24, 1983.
How many credits does Tennessee Williams have?
Tennessee Williams has accumulated over 98 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1950 to 2025.
What is Tennessee Williams's background in cinema and television?
Thomas Lanier Williams III was born on March 26, 1911, in Columbus, Mississippi, United States. He was an American playwright and screenwriter known by his pen name Tennessee Williams. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century Ameri...
Tennessee Williams by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Midi Première (1975) as Self — aged about 64
- The Kennedy Center Honors (1978) as Self — aged about 67
- Small World (1958) as Self — aged about 47
- The Rose Tattoo (1955) as Man at Mardi Gras Club (uncredited) — aged about 44
- The Dick Cavett Show (1968) as Self - Guest — aged about 57
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