Before Crystal Lake, William Catlett Played A Vicious Arrowverse Villain

"Crystal Lake" is the new Peacock and A24 series that serves as a prequel to "Friday the 13th" (1980). It focuses on the grief and murderous spiral of Pamela Voorhees, the mother of future killer Jason Voorhees, after he drowned at camp as a child. William Catlett plays Police Chief Levon Brooks, but in addition to investigating the violence unfolding, Levon also becomes romantically entangled with Pamela. "I think he can see the good in her," Catlett said of the surprising romance to Gizmodo. "When I look into her eyes, I see that there's someone that's been hurt, that something has happened that's not been shared. And I know that everybody has a past. And when she looks at me, I think she sees the same thing."

That said, Catlett hasn't always played the good guy. He embodied a vicious villain in the Arrowverse show "Black Lightning" (2018-2021), which followed a high school principal who used his lightning powers to help keep his community safe. Catlett played Latavious Johnson (also known as Lala). A high-ranking gangster, Lala unleashed senseless violence across his four-season arc. However, he also faced severe consequences, including his own murder by Tobias Whale. After he was resurrected, he suffered from having his victims' likeness supernaturally tattooed onto his body, causing him mental anguish and pain, thus explaining his other moniker as "the Tattooed Man."

With only a four-season run, "Black Lighting" didn't last as long as fans might have wanted, but it was still impactful, especially for William Catlett. His increased visibility led to more opportunities, like his starring role on the drama series "Love Is ___." Describing his elevated status following "Black Lightning," Catlett told Black Film, "I knew that it would happen at some point. I just needed my shot." He continued, "I knew when I was going out there and it was my first big guest starring role, and being in the first episode ... Now here's my opportunity."

Catlett's star will only continue to rise thanks to his role in "Crystal Lake," although more exposure wasn't his motivation for signing up. He initially passed on the role because he'd just come off of another horror project, but reading the show's script eventually pulled him in. As for why he wanted to explore his character, Levon, Catlett told Numero Netherlands, "He was layered, with a troubled past, and I was intrigued by the complexities of life in 1972. What was it like to be a cop, or rather, a Black chief of police, during that time? I wanted to understand what it felt like to live in that era. I knew I could help ground the story in truth and, more importantly, serve as a conduit for the voices of that time."