2004–2016: Early work and television breakthrough in 2012 Williams began her career as a member of the
improv comedy troupe
Just Add Water, working with them for four years and acting in the
YouTube series
College Musical. The project featured
Sam Tsui and was directed by
Kurt Hugo Schneider, both of whom also attended Yale. The YouTube video of the performance received widespread praise on the Internet. After seeing Williams' mashup,
Judd Apatow was convinced to cast Williams in the
HBO series
Girls. The series premiered on April 15, 2012, and generated high praise from television critics but sparked
many controversies. Williams was nominated for
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the
22nd Critics' Choice Awards. On December 4, 2014, she starred in
the title role on
NBC's live television presentation of the musical
Peter Pan Live!, opposite
Christopher Walken as
Captain Hook. In November 2016, Williams appeared in
Past Forward, a short film collaboration between
David O. Russell and
Prada. Williams wrote a series of
Funny or Die sketches starring as newlywed
Kate Middleton,
2017–present: Mainstream recognition In 2017, Williams starred in the horror film
Get Out, which was her feature film debut. Director
Jordan Peele was convinced she was right for the role of Rose after seeing her performance in
Peter Pan Live! and cast her in order to "disorient audiences". Williams said that she had been "looking for a role that would weaponize everything that people take for granted about me. So I instantly signed on to it." To prepare for the role, Williams isolated herself from the cast and crew during production in order to understand the
psychopathic nature of her character. The film received critical acclaim, and the performances of the acting ensemble were praised. Johnny Hoffman of
MovieWeb praised her for being "suspicious and charming from beginning to end" and wrote that "Williams proved, with this character, that she is perfectly capable of portraying an effective villain." The film earned her several accolades, including nominations for the
MTV Award for Best Villain and the
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. released on May 24, 2019, to mixed reviews though her performance was called "compelling". In 2018, she was cast as
Kit Snicket in the Netflix comedy-drama series
A Series of Unfortunate Events, a recurring character throughout the show's second and third seasons. Two years later, Williams appeared in the Swedish thriller film
Horizon Line. Three years after
Get Out, Williams reteamed with
Blumhouse to executive produce and star in
M3GAN. She plays Gemma, a
roboticist and creator of the titular robot. The film was released on January 6, 2023, to commercial success, becoming the second highest-grossing film of her career. Williams was also critically lauded for her performance.
Jason Zinoman of
The New York Times said that she had a "knack for playing it straight" and further wrote that she "capably updates the mad-scientist archetype, refusing to pause and ask questions while inventing a doll of the future, one who pairs with a child and adjusts to their needs, filling in as best friend and big sister." Fletcher Peters of
The Daily Beast wrote that Williams "conquers her role" and further praised her ability "to play off the absurdity with such finesse is incredible [...] Williams excels in the gruesome scenes just as well as she does with the comedy". Kristy Puchko of
Mashable said that she "solidly grounds the human drama within this scary sci-fi premise of a killer doll." Also in 2023, Williams starred in the miniseries
Fellow Travelers. Williams was announced in early 2022 to reprise the role of Gemma in
M3GAN 2.0, which she would also produce. The film was released in June 2025 and failed to replicate the success of its predecessor; however,
The Hollywood Reporter David Rooney believed it gave Williams an opportunity to "step into the fray with gusto". Her next film,
Regretting You (2025), was a commercial success but was panned by critics. Adrian Horton of
The Guardian believed it wasted having Williams in the lead. == Personal life and public image ==