Hal Williams, a television veteran who appeared on such American sitcom classics as “227” and “Sanford and Son,” has died, his manager said. He was 91 years old.
“227” aired from 1985 to 1990 and was about a group of middle-aged residents living together in an apartment building. Williams starred as Lester Jenkins, the husband of Mary Jenkins, played by Marla Gibbs, and the father of Brenda Jenkins, played by Regina King. “227” aired on NBC for five seasons and 116 episodes. Series star Jackie Harry won an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1987 for her work on the show. Other performers included Helen Martin, Alaina Reid Hall, and Curtis Baldwin.
Williams appeared in 22 episodes of “Sanford and Son” as Officer “Smitty” Smith. The character was part of Howard Platt’s duo with police officer “Hoppy” Hopkins. The two had a recurring scene in which Hopkins outlined the case using complex police terminology, and it was up to Smith to demystify it once again.
In a recent interview with WKYC, Williams explained how the Smitty and Hoppy gag came about: “We did it in one rehearsal, and the producers thought it was interesting. We did it in the first or second episode and it clicked. Some days, we’d come to rehearsal and we didn’t have anything solid.[Then the producers]would say, ‘Go out, take a two-hour break, and bring us something.'”
Williams’ other television credits include “On the Rocks,” “The Waltons,” “Private Benjamin,” and “The Sinbad Show.” His most recent television appearance was in CBS’s “Matlock” remake. On the film side, Williams appeared in “Hardcore,” “The Rookie,” “Percy and Thunder,” “Guess Who,” and “Flight.”
