Hal Williams, “Sanford and Son” and “227” star, dies at 91

Key Points

• Hal Williams died on Wednesday at 91.

• He was known for roles on Sanford and Son, The Waltons and 227, alongside Marla Gibbs and Regina King.

• Williams died of natural causes while at home in California, according to his representative.

Hal Williams, best known for his roles as Officer “Smitty” Smith on Sanford and Son and Lester Jenkins on 227, has died. He was 91.

That the actor died on Wednesday morning of natural causes, Williams’ representative told Deadline. He was at his home in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at the time of his death after recently suffering from some health issues.

Reps for Williams did not immediately respond when Entertainment Weekly reached out for comment.

Jackée Harry, who starred opposite Williams on 227 alongside Marla Gibbs and Regina King, paid tribute to the later actor in a post shared on Instagram.

“What a gentleman,” she captioned a photo of her and Williams. “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!'”

She continued, “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.”

Williams was born on Dec. 14, 1934, in Columbus, Ohio, where he worked as a postal worker and corrections officer before moving to Hollywood in 1968 to pursue an acting career.

“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,” Williams told Get TV of deciding to move after his divorce that same year. “I gave myself three years.”

And Williams got to work. His early roles included appearances in ’70s sitcoms such as The Jimmy Stewart Show and That Girl before he landed the recurring role as friendly neighborhood cop Smitty on Sanford and Son. He appeared in 20 episodes of the beloved sitcom, paired up with Howard Platt’s Officer “Hoppy” Hopkins, who was often the butt of the joke. 

“They used to tell us they didn’t have anything to do that week and to go make up some lines,” Williams recalled during a 2022 interview with Tell-Tale TV. “So I would go with Howard to a hot dog joint or a hamburger place. And we sit in the parking lot. He would want to know how to incorporate Black slang, Black jargon, and stuff.”

They’d take what they came up with back to the producers, who’d incorporate it into their scenes. “That was a fun show,” he added.

Williams reprised his role as Smitty in five episodes of NBC’s Sanford spinoff in 1980, which also saw Redd Foxx return to the titular role.

Williams landed the main role as Lester Jenkins on the NBC sitcom 227 in 1985, playing husband to Gibbs’ Mary Jenkins and father of King’s Brenda. The show ran for five seasons, ending on May 6, 1990.

Williams other notable roles included Harley Foster on The Waltons, Lester DeMott on the ABC sitcom On the Rocks, and Sergeant Ted Ross on the CBS sitcom Private Benjamin.

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His final series regular role was on the 1993 short-lived Fox comedy The Sinbad Show. Additional TV credits include episodes of L.A. Law, Moesha, Moonlight, Mr. Mayor, The Mayor, and Parks and Recreation.

Williams is survived by his three children.

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