Hal Williams, a familiar face on American television for nearly six decades, has died. He was 91.
His representative confirmed that Williams passed away at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. No cause of death has been released.
A career built on steady work
Williams was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1934. He worked as a postal employee and a corrections officer before he moved to Hollywood to chase acting full time. His break came in the early 1970s, and he never really stopped working after that.
He built his reputation on supporting roles rather than leading ones. That approach kept him on screen for generation after generation of viewers.
Smitty and the Sanford legacy
Williams’ most recognized role was Officer “Smitty” Smith on “Sanford and Son.” He played the part across 22 episodes of the NBC sitcom, working alongside Howard Platt’s Officer “Hoppy” Hopkins.
The pair had a signature bit. Hoppy would open with dense police jargon. Smitty would then translate it into plain language for Fred and Lamont Sanford, played by Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson. Williams said the routine started as an accident during a rehearsal, and producers liked it enough to keep it in the show.
He later reprised the character on the short-lived spinoff simply titled “Sanford.”
In a bittersweet twist, Williams and Platt reunited just days before Williams died. The two appeared together at a fan event in Ohio built around the original show, alongside the truck used on set. Williams spent time with fans and answered questions during the gathering.
Life as Lester Jenkins on 227
From 1985 to 1990, Williams played Lester Jenkins on NBC’s “227.” He was the husband of Marla Gibbs’ character and the father figure in a household that became one of the defining Black family sitcoms of its era.
The show ran for five seasons and 116 episodes. Its cast included Gibbs, Regina King, Jackée Harry, Helen Martin and Paul Winfield. Harry won an Emmy for her performance on the show in 1987.
Williams got the role almost by chance. The part started as a small stage production where he could skip rehearsals because his role was so minor. When the lead actor left days before the play opened, Williams stepped up. Norman Lear later saw the production and pitched it to NBC as a series.
A long list of credits
Williams’ other major roles included Harley Foster on “The Waltons,” Sergeant Ted Ross on the TV version of “Private Benjamin,” and Rudy Bryan on “The Sinbad Show.” He also spent 24 episodes on ABC’s “On the Rocks.”
His guest appearances stretched across decades of television history. He showed up on shows including “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Gunsmoke,” “Good Times,” “Knots Landing,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “Night Court,” “Moesha” and “Parks and Recreation.”
His film work included “Private Benjamin,” “Guess Who” and “Flight.” His most recent television role came on the CBS reboot of “Matlock.”
Family and legacy
Williams is survived by two children, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His son Mark died before him.
He also spent years hosting the annual telethon for the Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation, work that ran alongside his acting career.
Colleagues from “Sanford and Son” have thinned in recent years. Redd Foxx died in 1991. Demond Wilson died earlier this year. Williams’ death closes another chapter of a show that still airs in reruns decades after it left the air.
Tributes from fans and former collaborators have started to circulate online, recalling both his comedic timing and his long presence in Black sitcom history through “227” and beyond.