After serving for two decades in the U.S. Navy, University of West Florida graduate William Shannon Williams never imagined becoming a Hollywood actor would be written in his stars.

His impressive resume filled with films accompanying A-list celebrities all started with his daughter’s desire to be cast as an extra in a major motion picture. When the opportunity arose for the 2006 movie “Deja Vu,” which was being filmed in New Orleans, they auditioned together. Not only did he and his daughter both score a role, but it opened up a new career path for Williams as he fell in love with the world of film production.

The movie was Williams’ first encounter with fame, since the movie starred big names like Denzel Washington and was being directed by Tony Scott, who also directed the original “Top Gun.”

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His casting photo from “Deja Vu” would get him another casting call years later, where he was offered a role in the 2011 film “Green Lantern” portraying the character, Colonel Rector.

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“I came back from that movie set and I changed my major to theatre at UWF and I’ve never turned back. I’ve been acting ever since,” Williams said. “It was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

His latest movie appearance, action-thriller “Laws of Man” released by Saban Films, is hitting select theatres on Jan. 10 and will be available to stream on-demand.

The movie follows two U.S. marshals, portrayed by Jackson Rathbone (recognized for his role as Jasper Hale in “The Twilight Saga”) and Jacob Keohane (recognized for his role as Deputy Tobias in “Halloween Kills”), who hunt down a suspected murderer through the desolate Nevada desert. The closer that they get, the more sinister secrets and danger await them.

Casting directors typically make the most of Williams’ military background, which means his acting career has included portraying seven different colonels. This time around, in “Laws of Man,” he was able to toy with being one of the bad guys for once. Not just bad, but “more animal than man,” according to Williams.

“We were, of course, bandits and robbers. But in a film like this, it’s a little bit darker. We’re not going to just take your money, we’re going to take your life,” Williams said. “You get to play with all these different things.”

When Williams wasn’t filming adrenaline-pumping desert shoot-outs, he was serving as the set medic alongside the film’s director, Phil Blattenberger, in picturesque New Mexico.

While he admits the fun he had during the filming process, what was possibly even more exciting was getting a behind-the-scenes look at each actor’s performance, scene-by-scene. One actor who particularly stood out to him was Richard Brake, who previously portrayed the Night King in seasons four and five of HBO series “Games of Thrones.”

“This guy, the things he can do with his face,” Williams said. “He was so evil as a character, and so incredibly nice as a person.”

While Williams caught the acting itch in “Deja Vu,” he decided to acquire formal training from the University of West Florida where he eventually obtained a bachelor’s degree in theatre and acting. This wasn’t Williams’ first visit to the Pensacola area, as he was stationed at Naval Hospital Pensacola from 1986-89.

While he was pursuing his degree at UWF, he received some of the best advice of his acting career − which was simply to be himself and bring what he has to offer to the table.

“They said, ‘There’s only one Shannon … that’s who you’re selling,’” he said. “They don’t want me to be Tom Cruise, or me to be anyone else. They want me to be me. That has paid off a hundred-fold.”

Not only has his newfound acting career brought childlike joy back into his life, but also helped relieve panic attacks caused from his military service, which included deployment to Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

Even though it took a leap of faith to begin an acting career in his 40s, he would advise veterans not to be afraid to do the same.

“Acting has helped me more with these panic attacks than anything I’ve ever done for it,” Williams said. “I recommend to any veteran who’s having panic attacks, who’s depressed – start getting into acting. Find that inner child. It helps − it helps a lot.”

Starting Jan. 10, “Laws of Man” should be available to stream on Apple TV+, Amazon Video, Fandago At Home and more.