Montel Williams. He once was a US Navy spy, he speaks Russian, smokes marijuana for medicinal reasons, he has multiple sclerosis and is the hottest daytime TV host the world over. By far. He of the eyes and the voice and the tattoos. The what?!…??Who’d have thought that under those crisply pressed shirts are hidden the most impressive biceps adorned in the most elaborate of half sleeves? OK, you may have guessed at the biceps, but the tats? Whoa. There really is more to Montel than at first meets the eye.
So why tats? It apparently took till 2001 before he went for his first ink and that was the snowboarder on his left arm. Montel is an avid snowboarder, it turns out.
Montel has several tats of a weird half human half cat creature which he says is his alter ego: “That’s a half-human, half-panther alter ego of myself. He looks like Tony the Tiger on crack.” This bobcat-like creature came from a doodle he used to draw as a teen. It was on all his school books and even on his football helmet.
His right arm though is an intricate story all on its own. In his words: “In the middle is a trio of half-human, half-animal people, and if you look at the half-man half-panther he’s got all sorts of things on him that are important to me. Going up his leg are all the ranks I achieved as a Marine… Each of the half-cat women has a sword on her leg—one is the Marine Corps sword, one is the Navy sword.” All around them are images referring to events he experienced in the military, from being airlifted in a helicopter to parachuting, rapelling and an ‘80’ because he is a Naval Academy “Class of ‘80” graduate. There are headphones for the spying, subs for the one he was in and the one they chased after in a manouevre.
There is one tattoo that he doesn’t freely share with the public and that is because it is of a panther head on his hip bone.
Setting aside the often mind numbing drivel of the daytime shows. If you ever were planning on watching one, this was the one to watch. It actually passed as marginally intelligent. Why the past tense? Well, Montel’s show is no more. It aired for the last time in September. He promises thought that he’s not done with us yet. I can’t wait…
I know for a fact he didn’t get that first TAT until 2003-2004! but that’s alright the man is a walking contradiction, he’s got 4 kids and no reference to what’s most important in life…. odd to me but then again he’s an odd cat..