William Stanford Davis, Star of "Abbott Elementary," Reveals Memoir "Don't Mess with the Fat Kid" (Exclusive)

William Stanford Davis, who plays custodian Mr. Johnson on "Abbott Elementary," is publishing a memoir titled "Don't Mess with the Fat Kid" through Ben Bella Books. The book covers Davis's life and career, including his struggles with addiction and rejection, and his experience of being arrested.

William Stanford Davis, who stars as Mr. Johnson's janitor in Abbott Elementary, is releasing a memoir, "Don't Be a Fat Kid," through BenBella Books.

"Don't Mess with the Fat Kid" looks at Davis' life and career — including struggles like addiction and rejection — and the experience of landing the role at age 70. According to the official description, Davies' story is written in three parts: "The first tells the story of Davies' childhood in the 1960s. Fresh Off the Bus in Jefferson City in the early 1970s, the final episode chronicles Davis' journey from addict to working actor, and the years of perseverance, rejection, and experience that eventually led to the biggest role of his career. Related stories from Amy Goodman's documentary Steal This Story, Please! Acquired by Music Box North America, home entertainment release set for October 20 (Exclusive) Doc Stories Unveils 12th Annual Film Collection (Exclusive)

"Don't Mess with the Fat Kid" was sold by Miles Blaim at Aevitas Creative Management in partnership with Innovative Artists to BenBella Books Editor and Executive Director Glenn Yefth. This book will be published in hardcover, e-book and audio book formats. Popular in Variety

In addition to "Abbott Elementary," Davis' credits include Wanda Sykes' "Undercard," Apple TV's "Swagger," HBO's "Curb Your Passion," Showtime's "Ray Donovan" and ABC's "Lincoln Heights."

"I've wanted to write this memoir for a long time, to honor the road I've traveled to get here and to connect with those still on the road," Davis said in a statement. People know me as Mr. Johnson from Abbott Elementary, and while that's the biggest role of my career so far, it's not the whole story. I'm excited to finally share the full story: the struggles, the failures, the second chances, and the perseverance it took to keep going and get to where I am today. "It took me a long time to get here, and the beautiful thing is that I'm just getting started."