Hal Williams has died at age 91, bringing an end to a career that helped shape some of the most memorable eras of Black television. Williams died on July 15 at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, with his representative confirming the news. People also confirmed that the veteran performer died at home after spending decades becoming one of television’s most dependable and recognizable character actors.
For many viewers, Williams will always be Officer “Smitty” Smith from NBC’s “Sanford and Son.” The groundbreaking comedy was adapted by Norman Lear from the British series “Steptoe and Son” and aired from 1972 to 1977. Williams entered Fred Sanford’s chaotic world as a police officer who could turn a routine investigation into comedy without trying to overpower the show’s larger personalities.
Smitty frequently appeared alongside Howard Platt’s Officer “Hoppy” Hopkins. Hoppy would deliver an overly formal explanation of whatever situation had brought the officers to Fred and Lamont’s home. Smitty would then translate the message into language everyone could understand. The routine became a reliable source of laughter, especially when Redd Foxx’s Fred Sanford responded with his signature suspicion, attitude and perfectly timed reactions.
Williams once explained that the officers’ memorable routine developed during rehearsal rather than through some carefully designed television formula.
“We did it in one time in rehearsal, and the producers thought it was funny,” the actor recalled. “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. [So the producers would say,] ‘Go out, take a break for two hours, and bring us something back.’”
That creative freedom allowed Williams and Platt to build their chemistry and return with material that could be worked into their scenes. People reported that Williams and Platt would sometimes sit together at a restaurant or in a parking lot while discussing Black slang, cultural language and ways to make their dialogue funnier. Those conversations became part of the magic audiences eventually saw on screen.
Hal Williams later returned as Smitty on “Sanford,” the 1980 continuation that brought Redd Foxx back to the familiar role. However, Smitty represented only one part of an extensive television journey. Williams also held significant roles on “On the Rocks” and the television adaptation of “Private Benjamin,” where he played the stern Sergeant Ted Ross. He later appeared as Rudy Bryan on “The Sinbad Show.”
His role as Lester Jenkins on “227” became another defining chapter. Williams joined the NBC sitcom in 1985 as the husband of Marla Gibbs’ Mary Jenkins. Regina King played their daughter Brenda in her first television role, while Jackée Harry became a breakout favorite as their glamorous neighbor Sandra. The series followed the relationships, arguments and everyday comedy surrounding residents of a Washington, D.C. apartment building.
Hal Williams gave Lester a grounded energy that balanced the show’s biggest comedic moments. Lester was not presented as a distant background figure. He was a husband, father and working man whose presence strengthened the family at the center of the series. At a time when Black families were still fighting for broader and more authentic representation on network television, “227” allowed audiences to see Black home life filled with affection, frustration, ambition, friendship and laughter.
Williams once described “227” as “a family show that anybody could watch across all color lines.” That accessibility did not require the show to abandon its cultural identity. Instead, the Jenkins family welcomed viewers into a distinctly Black community while proving that stories centered on Black families could reach households everywhere.
Williams also built one of those résumés that could make viewers pause and ask where they had seen him before. His television credits included “Good Times,” “The Waltons,” “Gunsmoke,” “Police Woman,” “Knots Landing,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Webster,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Magnum P.I.,” “Night Court,” “L.A. Law,” “Moesha”and “Parks and Recreation.”
His film work was just as varied. Williams appeared with George C. Scott in “Hardcore,” Clint Eastwood in “The Rookie” and Bernie Mac, Ashton Kutcher and Zoe Saldaña in “Guess Who.” He was also featured in “Percy & Thunder” with James Earl Jones, Billy Dee Williams and Courtney B. Vance. In the 2012 drama “Flight,” he portrayed the father of Denzel Washington’s character.
Even late in his career, Hal Williams continued showing up on screen. He made special guest appearances on the new “Matlock as Autry, a local resident whose testimony affected cases handled by the show’s law firm. His continued presence proved that his talent was not limited to nostalgia. Williams remained a working actor who could step into a modern production and immediately bring credibility to the story.
His impact also extended beyond acting. According to the Mark K. A. Williams Memorial Scholarship Fund, Williams created the organization after the death of his son Mark, a gifted telecommunications student who died at age 20 during a trip in the Angeles National Forest. The fund provides financial assistance to students pursuing careers in filmmaking, broadcasting, telecommunications and the performing arts.
Hal Williams leaves behind more than a long list of credits. He leaves generations of viewers who remember Smitty walking through the Sanford family’s door, Lester Jenkins holding his household together and a familiar face making every production feel more complete. His work reflected discipline, range and a quiet confidence that never needed to demand attention. Across comedy, drama, film and television, Williams built the kind of career that deserves to be remembered as part of Black entertainment history.
