Veteran actor Hal Williams, best known for his memorable role as Officer “Smitty” Smith on Sanford and Son, has died. He was 91.
Williams died of natural causes at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, on Wednesday morning, his manager, Zna Portlock Houston, told TMZ.
Houston said the longtime actor had been dealing with health issues and felt tired after returning from Ohio, where he had attended a Sanford and Son reunion with former co-star Howard Platt.
Williams began his television career in 1972 on the hit comedy, appearing alongside Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson. His steady presence and easygoing delivery helped make him a familiar face to generations of TV viewers.
He later landed major roles on The Waltons and 227, while building an impressive résumé that included appearances on Good Times, Hill Street Blues, Magnum P.I., Night Court and L.A. Law.
Williams also appeared on the big screen in movies including Hardcore, The Rookie and Flight.
Just days before his death, the actor reflected on why Sanford and Son remained so popular more than 50 years after it first aired.
“Because the humor was so real and wasn’t artificial, and it was just generally funny, funny, funny, one laugh after another all the time,” Williams said.
His decades-long career made him one of television’s most dependable character actors, and his work continues to live on through the many classic shows and films he helped bring to life.