{"id":2504847,"date":"2026-07-16T17:21:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T17:21:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2504847"},"modified":"2026-07-16T17:21:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T17:21:57","slug":"hal-williams-sanford-and-son-and-227-star-dies-at-91","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/hal-williams-sanford-and-son-and-227-star-dies-at-91\/","title":{"rendered":"Hal Williams, \u201cSanford and Son\u201d and \u201c227\u201d star, dies at 91"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\" data-body-type=\"bodyblocks\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">Key Points<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 safari:ml-6 list-disc\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Hal Williams died on Wednesday at 91.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 safari:ml-6 list-disc\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He was known for roles on <em>Sanford and Son<\/em>, <em>The Waltons<\/em> and <em>227,<\/em> alongside Marla Gibbs and Regina King.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 safari:ml-6 list-disc\">\n<div>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Williams died of natural causes while at home in California, according to his representative.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Hal Williams, best known for his roles as Officer &#8220;Smitty&#8221; Smith on <em>Sanford and Son <\/em>and Lester Jenkins on <em>227<\/em>, has died. He was 91.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">That the actor died on Wednesday morning of natural causes, Williams&#8217; representative told <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Deadline;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/07\/hal-williams-actor-dead-sanford-and-son-1236983727\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Deadline<\/a>. He was at his home in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at the time of his death after recently suffering from some health issues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Reps for Williams did not immediately respond when <em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em> reached out for comment.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Hal Williams and Marla Gibbs on &#8216;227&#8217;<br \/>Credit: Colubmia Pictures Television\/courtesy Everett Collection<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Jack\u00e9e Harry, who starred opposite Williams on <em>227<\/em> alongside Marla Gibbs and Regina King, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:paid tribute to the later actor in a post shared on Instagram;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Da176YJqNPV\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">paid tribute to the later actor in a post shared on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;What a gentleman,&#8221; she captioned a photo of her and Williams. &#8220;Hal always carried himself with grace, and he always had me laughing. I&#8217;ll never forget him telling me to trade in my little Mercedes because, &#8216;You&#8217;re a star now!'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">She continued, &#8220;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&#8217;m so lucky to have worked closely with him. Rest in peace, my dear friend.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I sat down after getting divorced and said, &#8216;What do I really want to try to do before the maker comes and gets me?&#8217; And it was acting. So, I took the plunge and drove to California in 48 hours,&#8221; Williams told <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Get TV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.get.tv\/gettv-blog\/gettv-talks-sanford-and-son-interview-hal-williams\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Get TV<\/a> of deciding to move after his divorce that same year. &#8220;I gave myself three years.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">And Williams got to work. His early roles included appearances in &#8217;70s sitcoms such as <em>The Jimmy Stewart Show<\/em> and <em>That Girl<\/em> before he landed the recurring role as friendly neighborhood cop Smitty on <em>Sanford and Son. <\/em>He appeared in 20 episodes of the beloved sitcom, paired up with Howard Platt&#8217;s Officer &#8220;Hoppy&#8221; Hopkins, who was often the butt of the joke.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;They used to tell us they didn&#8217;t have anything to do that week and to go make up some lines,&#8221; Williams recalled during a 2022 interview with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Tell-Tale TV;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/telltaletv.com\/2022\/09\/hal-williams-talks-sanford-and-son-227-and-the-impact-of-black-television-interview\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Tell-Tale TV<\/a>. &#8220;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.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">They&#8217;d take what they came up with back to the producers, who&#8217;d incorporate it into their scenes. &#8220;That was a fun show,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Williams reprised his role as Smitty in five episodes of NBC&#8217;s <em>Sanford<\/em> spinoff in 1980, which also saw Redd Foxx return to the titular role.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Hal Williams in 2016Credit: Monica Morgan\/WireImage\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/lo\/mysterio\/api\/328e21a706dcc90f463e3eece6e69ffca8f448bdfdb9469e02f969c193b9cf76\/lightyear_networkapi\/resizefill_w960;quality_80;format_webp\/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Fentertainment_weekly_785%2F1f466eb924a78965c8a195d7568e47cd\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Hal Williams in 2016<br \/>Credit: Monica Morgan\/WireImage<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Williams landed the main role as Lester Jenkins on the NBC sitcom <em>227 <\/em>in 1985, playing husband to Gibbs&#8217; Mary Jenkins and father of King&#8217;s Brenda. The show ran for five seasons, ending on May 6, 1990.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Williams other notable roles included Harley Foster on <em>The Waltons<\/em>, Lester DeMott on the ABC sitcom <em>On the Rocks<\/em>, and Sergeant Ted Ross on the CBS sitcom <em>Private Benjamin<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong><em>Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:EW Dispatch newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/ew-dispatch-newsletter-11812417\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">His final series regular role was on the 1993 short-lived Fox comedy <em>The Sinbad Show<\/em>. Additional TV credits include episodes of <em>L.A. Law, Moesha, Moonlight, Mr. Mayor, The Mayor<\/em>, and <em>Parks and Recreation<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Williams is survived by his three children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Entertainment Weekly;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;link&quot;,&quot;yLinkElementType&quot;:&quot;article_link&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/hal-williams-dead-sanford-and-son-and-227-star-dies-12020567\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Entertainment Weekly<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 &#8220;Smitty&#8221; Smith on Sanford [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2504848,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[493612,493613,443257,347228,415145],"class_list":["post-2504847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-hal-williams","tag-lester-jenkins","tag-marla-gibbs","tag-regina-king","tag-sanford-and-son"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Hal-Williams-Sanford-and-Son-and-227-star-dies-at.com2Fen2Fentertainment_weekly_7852F2deeca795c05f8e4a86339774bfce179.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2504847"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2504849,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2504847\/revisions\/2504849"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2504848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2504847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2504847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2504847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}