‘Sanford and Son’ And ‘227’ Star Hal Williams Dead at 91

TV dad Hal Williams has died, his manager announced. The star of 227, who also appeared on Sanford and Son, was a veteran actor who also starred in many classic TV shows and movies.

He died in his Southern California home after saying that he was feeling unwell after a recent trip back to Ohio, according to Deadline.

Williams’ first major role was in 1972 when he starred on the classic TV show Sanford and Son as Officer “Smitty” Smith, who was paired with Officer “Hoppy” Hopkins, played by Howard Platt.

But he’s probably best known as Lester Jenkins on the popular NBC sitcom 227, which ran from 1985 to 1990. Regina King played his daughter Brenda, and Marla Gibbs played his wife, Mary, who was known as the nosy resident in the apartment building where she lived with her family. Jackee ultimately won an Emmy for her role as Sandra Clark, a neighbor who often clashed with Mary.

The show and its lively characters are etched in Black TV sitcom history.

In a 2010 reunion interview on Today, Williams remembered being surrounded by a mostly female cast.

“It was really wonderful with all of them,” he shared. “I got different points of view from every last one of them, and I loved them all for it.”

Born Halroy Candis Williams in Columbus, Ohio, he started his career in local community theater in his 30s after stints as a correction officer, social worker and postman.

“I sat down after getting divorced and said, ‘What do I really want to try to do before the maker comes and gets me?’ And it was acting. So, I took the plunge and drove to California in 48 hours,” he said in an interview. “I gave myself three years.”

He was both a postman and a corrections officer before a guest spot on the ’60s sitcom That Girl and then landing the part on Sanford and Son.

In 1980, he played drill sergeant L.C. Ross in Private Benjamin, a massive hit for its star Goldie Hawn. He played a similar role in the TV series that followed. By 1987, Williams had been married and divorced three times and had three children.

His five-decade TV resume includes appearances on a host of classic TV shows, including Cannon, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Dukes of Hazzard, Good Times, Hill Street Blues, Knots Landing, L.A. Law, Magnum P.I., Moesha, Night Court, Parks and Recreation, Police Woman, Quincy M.E., The Sinbad Show, Suddenly Susan, The Waltons and Webster.

“For fifty years, I’ve been lucky enough to do what I do. [I was on] 11 television shows, and that’s unheard of,” Williams told Cleveland’s WKYC last week.

His movies included Hardcore, The Rookie, Percy & Thunder with Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones and Courtney B. Vance, and Guess Who, the remake of Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner with Ashton Kutcher, Bernie Mac and Zoe Saldaña. In Flight, starring Denzel Washington, he played Washington’s father.

While Williams was fortunate enough to have career longevity, his advice to aspiring actors was to recognize that it wouldn’t be easy.

“It’s very, very, very, very important to have the confidence that you not only are trained to do this, but that you can do so while dealing with rejection,” he told TellTale TV in 2022. “Because there is a whole lot more rejection than there is success.”

One of Williams’ three children, Mark, died on a camping trip when he was just 20 years old. Williams established a scholarship for students of color pursuing majors in TV or communications to honor the broadcasting major, per Deadline.

Williams is survived by his other two children, six grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

See social media’s reaction to the actor’s passing below as they relive some of his funniest onscreen moments.