Montel began his professional career in the United States Marine Corps, becoming the first black Marine selected to the Naval Academy Prep School to then go on to graduate from the United States Naval Academy. Williams earned a degree in general engineering and a minor in international security affairs and served in the military for a total of 22 years. He is best known as the Emmy Award-winning host of The Montel Williams Show, which aired nationally for seventeen years. Along with being a New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Montel is a passionate advocate for veterans, education and health. He serves on the board of directors for the Fisher House Foundation and the Anne Romney Center for Neurological Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Montel is thrilled to be a part of Military Makeover, relishing the opportunity to give back to his fellow veterans.
- During his 17-year talk show host career, Montel hosted more than 3,300 episodes and interviewed 36,000 guests.
- Montel often says, “I never took the uniform off” because of his dedication to serving his fellow veterans.
- In addition to his naval awards and medals, he was given a Meritorious Service Award for his positive portrayal of the military on The Montel Williams Show.
- His language at the Naval Academy was Chinese; he then studied Russian and became a Russian linguist.
- Williams has helped raise more than $1.5 million for MS research.
- Montel was president of his high school class for two years.
- Montel received his sixth Emmy nomination in 2009 not for his talk show but for a supporting actor role in the long-running daytime soap Guiding Light.
