Jackée Harry is mourning the loss of her friend and beloved “227” co-star Hal Williams following his death at age 91. The soap star and Williams remained close friends once “227” wrapped its run in 1990. Harry has paid tribute to Williams with a touching message and a photo worth a thousand words.
‘Days of Our Lives’ Star Jackée Harry Mourns Hal Williams
In an Instagram Post, Harry didn’t hold back, gushing over Williams. The two were co-stars for five seasons on the hilarious NBC sitcom.
“What a gentleman. Hal always carried himself with grace, and he always had me laughing. I’ll never forget him telling me to trade in my little Mercedes because, “You’re a star now!” Harry began her tribute.
The actress went on to praise the “Sanford and Son” star, writing, “He was also a stand-up guy who believed Black fathers on TV should be loving, present, and compassionate. He helped show America what that looked like. I’m so lucky to have worked closely with him. Rest in peace, my dear friend. 💔.”
“General Hospital” alum (Marc Anthony Samuel) showed up in the comments to leave red heart emojis on the post.
Fans also popped up in the comments section to express their sadness over Williams’ death and share their love for “227”.
“Oh no!! I’m so sad to see this, Watching him as a child on 227 and then Moesha as Frank’s father he was so iconic “There’s no place like home” Rest in Power Mr. Hal Williams,” shared a fan. One fan wrote, “What?! No!! I was just watching 227 on YouTube yesterday. He was a great actor. Forever rest in peace Hal.”
Another fan expressed, “Awwwee I loved him on both Sanford and Son and 227! May he rest until Paradise. My deepest condolences and prayers to all his loved ones 🙏🏾.” “I was just looking at 227 on Tubi last night and just in awe of him and Marla Gibbs’ on-screen love. Wow. Rest easy sir❤️❤️❤️” said a fan.
On “227,” Harry played Sandra Clark, and Williams played Lester Jenkins, the husband of Mary, played by sitcom icon Marla Gibbs. In fact, at one point, then NBC president Brandon Tartikoff and producer Norman Lear wanted to kill off Lester, leaving Mary a widow. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gibbs largely prevented that from happening because of how she wanted her character portrayed.
“227” also starred Regina King (Brenda), Countess Vaughn (Alexandria), Curtis Baldwin (Calvin), and Alaina Reed Hall (Rose). It ran from September 1985 through May 1990.
Jackée Harry Made History With Primetime Emmy Win for ‘227’
In 1987, Harry took home her first Primetime Emmy Award for playing Sandra on the hit NBC sitcom. Harry became the first black actress to win the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award.
The actress beat out fan favorites, “The Golden Girls” star Estelle Getty (Sophia) and “Family Ties” star Justine Bateman (Mallory). Harry admitted in an interview with People magazine that she didn’t fully understand the scope of the win at the time.
“It was happening to me; I was observing it. In retrospect, now I know how important it was, but I didn’t see it coming at all — but I did see success,” she shared.
Harry further discussed that moment and her storied career during an appearance on the Soapy podcast with her “Days of Our Lives” co-star Greg Rikaart and “The Bold and the Beautiful” star Rebecca Budig this spring. It’s been a wild ride for Harry, who has no plans to stop acting anytime soon.
In addition to enjoying her time in Salem, Harry has appeared in Lifetime Christmas movies for the network’s “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” event for the past three years. Harry will continue that trend this year, starring in “A Perfect Christmas Kiss” during the holiday season.
