Actor Hal Williams dies at 91 as Hollywood mourns beloved TV icon

Hal Williams, the veteran television actor best known for his roles on 227, Sanford and Son and The Waltons has died at the age of 91.

A representative for Williams confirmed that the actor died Wednesday morning at his home in Rancho Mirage, California.

Williams was born Halroy Candis Williams in Columbus. Before moving to Los Angeles Williams worked as a social worker, corrections officer and postal employee. After a divorce he decided to take a chance on acting and drove to California, giving himself three years to succeed.

That gamble paid off.

In 1972 Williams was cast as Officer “Smitty” Smith on Sanford and Son, appearing in 20 episodes opposite Howard Platt’s Officer “Hoppy” Hopkins. The pair became a memorable comedic duo with Platt often playing the confused straight man to Williams’s sharper delivery.

His most famous role came in 1985 when he joined the cast of 227 alongside Marla Gibbs. Williams played Lester Jenkins, husband to Gibbs’s Mary Jenkins while a young Regina King made her television debut as their daughter. The sitcom became a major hit and ran for five seasons.

Throughout his career Williams appeared in dozens of television shows and films including The Sinbad Show, Moesha, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Hardcore, The Rookie and Flight.

Looking back on his long career he once said he chose acting because it was a profession where “you don’t have to stop working, you just get older as you work.”

Williams is survived by the three children he shared with his first wife.