Texas born actress, Gayland Williams, began her film career in Austin playing in the Merchant Ivory film "Ballad of the Sad Cafe" in 1991. TV credits include "Real Stories of the HWY Patrol" and "Unsolved Mysteries". Recent films include "Kings of the Evening" playing the peeved wife of Bruce McGill and "Natural Selection" playing the bossy older sister of Rachael Harris. Justin Meeks, who played her son in "Kings" later cast her in his film "Kill or Be Killed". She also starred in the award winning short film "Promise Me" which garnered 17 awards and two best actress nominations.

Gayland has two sons by her husband Roger Williams and resides in Austin. She taught Science and was awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to do a post-graduate environmental study at Princeton. Her two sons frequently worked with her as extras in films such as "Gilbert Grape" and "Dazed and Confused". Her father, Jerry Turman, also was an actor.