Veteran actor Hal Williams, who won acclaim for his roles on “Sanford and Son” and “227,” passed last week at 91. His representative, Zna Portlock Houston, told The Los Angeles Times about his death in an email.
“Hal Williams is legendary for his acting skills, his compassion, and his community engagement,” Houston wrote, describing the actor as “an icon and a true professional.” “He never turned away a fan. He was always embraced so warmly, like he was truly their own family, because he was a cultural touchstone who represented an image of Black fatherhood that was loving and steadfast. Offscreen, he was a sound advisor, lively debater, and devoted friend.”
Williams had just returned from a trip to Ohio that celebrated his time on “Sanford and Son,” where he portrayed Officer “Smitty” Smith from 1972 to 1977.
In one of his final television interviews just days prior to his death, Williams spoke about one of the show’s recurring bits, which saw his character translate his partner Officer “Hoppy” Hopkins’ (Howard Platt) police talk into a vernacular that Fred (Redd Foxx) and Lamont Sanford (Demond Wilson) could understand.
“A lot of the stuff we created ourselves off camera and put it in the script,” Williams said when he appeared with Platt on a morning news show on Cleveland’s Fox 8. “A lot of the times, they didn’t have jokes in the script … because they didn’t know the jargon from the Black community.”
Williams also appeared on several other shows, among them “Kung Fu,” “Good Times,” “Roots: The Next Generation,” “The Jeffersons,” “Magnum P.I.,” and “The Sinbad Show” over the years. But his other famous role was starring as Lester Jenkins, in the NBC sitcom “227.” The show, which aired from 1985 to 1990, was notable for its portrayal of a middle-class Black family.
“‘227’ kind of set the bar a little higher because it was a totally intact family,” Williams told the “Today” show in 2020. “It was a mother, father, daughter and they were very positive. There were very few negatives. It addressed all kinds of social issues and it gave oncoming shows the opportunity to explore new avenues and new issues comfortably because the networks and production companies were open to that kind of a pitch idea.”
Gibbs took to social media to share a tribute to her “TV husband,” who she described as “a generous man who freely gave his time, his talent and his heart to the community.”
“Our journey together began long before 227 came to television,” Gibbs wrote on Instagram. “Hal was part of the original stage production at our Crossroads Theater. … Hal was always there to help. He even secured donated theater seats and helped organize the seating chart because he believed in supporting young artists. When 227 became a television series, I fought to make sure my character had a husband. I’m so glad I did,” she added. “Hal, Regina King and I became a television family that showed the love, strength and stability of a Black family for five wonderful seasons. … Even after the show ended, Hal never stopped checking on me.”
Williams most recently appeared as Autry in a couple of episodes of CBS’ “Matlock” reboot.
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