‘Doboy’ Williams, 43; Actor, Director Hosted Short-Film Showcase
Eugene “Doboy” Williams, 43, an actor and director who for several years sponsored a popular short-film series in the Leimert Park area of Los Angeles, died Dec. 22.
Williams was found dead at his Doboy’s Dozens Coffee House on Crenshaw Boulevard. He had apparently committed suicide.
A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Williams came to California in the early 1980s. He studied acting at the Inner-City Cultural Center, and found work in both television and film.
In the early 1990s, he and Marceil Wright started the film series Doboy’s Dozens Monthly Filmmaker Showcase, a program held the last Wednesday of each month at various venues in the Leimert Park area.
Each program offered as many as 12 short films, music videos and trailers on topics ranging from AIDS to Zen. Occasionally, the screenings featured the early directorial efforts of actors such as Blair Underwood (“L.A. Law”) and Kim Fields (“Living Single”).
The programs were more than mere screenings, however. They offered budding filmmakers a chance to network with established veterans in all segments of the industry.
The series, which continues for the present at the coffeehouse, is seeking funding as well as a permanent home to accommodate a larger audience.
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
