'Golden Voice' Homeless Man Ted Williams Had A Foot In The Door In Broadcasting Before: Is He Skipping A Step?

CBS

Maybe we should just call him 'The Voice.'

Only days ago he was panhandling at the side of a highway. And now he's touring L.A., getting detained by the LAPD (a rite of passage), talking to Dr. Phil and entertaining offers from Kraft foods and the NBA to do his dream job -- voice-over work.

The Columbus Dispatch found out (Steve Lopez-style) that Williams has an extraordinary, golden voice to go with those dreams. Except that he already had a foot in the door in broadcasting, as we reported this week. Did Williams skip a step?

Not to belittle the homeless experience or suggest anyone would hit the streets to avoid the rat race.

But after we echoed LA Observed's report that Williams actually worked at CBS2 news in L.A. as an assignment editor in the late '80s and early '90s, one commenter wondered why, in a game where people work all kinds of behind-the-scenes jobs for years before getting their dream gigs, Williams has all of a sudden gone to the front of the line.

Our commenter of the day, Shaun Landry, writes:

It is sad that he lived on the street for so long and I'm happy and all that he is seeking professional (and apparently very *high profile) help.

It's just this: In the world of broadcasting...there are several amazing people holding an AFTRA cards with beautiful voices who are struggling with just getting into a loop group (sorry this is so *inside*...because it is what a lot of us actors do) who have no history of homelessness or drug addiction.

For some of us it makes us want to take three hours out of our time to rough ourselves up a touch and stand on a corner with a sign. Apparently this is how you get work in Voice Over now.

Agreed? Or just sour grapes?