Hal Williams, '227' and 'Sanford and Son' Star, Dies at 91
by Simon Kent · BreitbartVeteran TV actor Hal Williams, who appeared in a host of American sitcom favorites like 227 and Sanford and Son, has died. He was 91.
During the 1970s, Williams became a regular TV presence, launching into view on shows like Sanford and Son as well as The Waltons.
In 1985, he was cast on the sitcom 227.
PEOPLE reports a representative for Williams told Deadline the actor died on the morning on Wednesday, July 15, at his home in Rancho Mirage, California.
Williams, who was born Halroy Candis Williams, entered the world in Columbus, Ohio, in 1938. Though he would not pursue acting until his 30s, he loved playing pretend at a young age, PEOPLE noted.
“I wasn’t allowed to leave the yard often, and I had a dog named Sandy. I used to play games with him, pretending he was the Lone Ranger and I was Tonto,” he told Columbus Monthly in 2022.
He worked as a social worker, corrections officer and postal worker, but by 1968, with his marriage failing, he decided to head west to Los Angeles and that’s where the acting possibilities suddenly opened up.
“I sat down after getting divorced and said, ‘What do I really want to try to do before the maker comes and gets me?’ And it was acting. So, I took the plunge and drove to California in 48 hours,” he told Get TV. “I gave myself three years.”
Variety reports Williams appeared in 22 episodes of Sanford and Son as Officer “Smitty” Smith. The character was part of a duo with Howard Platt’s Officer “Hoppy” Hopkins.
In a recent interview with WKYC, Williams explained how the Smitty and Hoppy gag came to be.
He detailed, “We did it in one time in rehearsal and the producers thought it was funny. We did it in the first or second episode and it clicked. Some days, we would come to rehearsal and they didn’t have anything solid. [The producers would then say,] ‘Go out, take a break for two hours, and bring us something back.'”
Williams’ other credits include On the Rocks, Private Benjamin and The Sinbad Show.
On the film side, Williams appeared in Hardcore, The Rookie, Percy & Thunder, Guess Who and Flight.
In all Williams had a career that delivered over 75 film and TVcredits to his name.
He last appeared onscreen last year in two episodes of the CBS reboot of Matlock.