An actor known best for his appearances in the drama series “The Waltons” and the sitcom “Sanford and Son” has passed away at the age of 91.
Hal Williams was born on December 14, 1938, in Columbus, Ohio. TMZ report that, according to his manager, Zna Portlock Houston, he passed away at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, on Wednesday, July 15.
Williams died from natural causes, having endured some health issues in recent times. According to Houston, Williams felt particularly tired upon his return from attending a reunion celebrating “Sanford and Son” in Ohio two weeks ago.
He played Harley Foster in “The Waltons” and Officer “Smitty” Smith in “Sanford and Son.”
“The Waltons” and “Sanford and Son” were far from Williams’ only screen credits, however.
Hal Williams Had an Extensive Filmography
In addition to “The Waltons” and “Sanford and Son,” having started acting in the late 1960s, Hal Williams had an extensive filmography on both the small and big screens.
His television credits also included “The Jimmy Stewart Show,” “The New Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Kung Fu,” “Gunsmoke,” “S.W.A.T.,” “Quincy, M.E.,” “Roots: The Next Generations,” “Knots Landing,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Private Benjamin,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “The Jeffersons,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “227,” “L.A. Law,” “Sinbad,” “Tales From the Crypt,” “Moesha,” “Moonlight,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Matlock.”
Movie-wise, he appeared in the likes of 1974’s “Herbie Rides Again,” 1980’s “Private Benjamin,” 1982’s “The Escape Artist,” 1990’s “The Rookie,” 1996’s “The Cherokee Kid,” 2005’s “Guess Who,” 2011’s “Night Club,” and 2012’s “Flight.”
As news of Williams’ passing began to circulate online, tributes to the actor starting pouring in on social media.
Fans Paid Tribute to ‘Talented’ Hal Williams
GettySocial media is now awash with lovely tributes to the late Hal Williams.
Playwright Peter Zachari posted his own tribute to Williams on Instagram. It included the line, “Some actors just have that rare magic. No matter the size of the role, they completely elevated every single scene, movie, or TV show they touched.”
In the comments section of Zachari’s post, one Instagram user said, “💔 Such a talented actor loved
all his work especially Lester Jenkins from 227 rest in peace and prayers to his family.”
Someone else commented, “He was one of those actors that seemed to have small roles is so many things, and his presence always made whatever he was in better. May he RIP.❤️”
On another Instagram post about Williams’ passing, a commenter wrote, “truly sad, im glad he got to live a long eventful life.”
“My condolences for the loss of Hal Williams; he will be deeply missed by fans and colleagues alike,” said somebody else.
On X, one person remembered Williams with a short anecdote about him. They wrote, “R.I.P. Halroy Candis Williams. In 2010, Hal attended a production of ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ in Indio that my dad co-starred in and stepmom choreographed. Afterwards, I said hello to Hal. He was very friendly and enjoyed the production.”
Williams had been divorced twice (with his most recent divorce coming way back in 1984). He is survived by two children, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren (per The Sunday Guardian).
We’d like to send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Hal Williams. Moreover, may his memory be a blessing and may he rest in eternal peace.
Hal Williams’ filmography and some personal info was courtesy of IMDb.
