Veteran actor Hal Williams, who is probably best known for playing Officer “Smitty” Smith on Sanford and Son, died this morning at his home in Rancho Mirage, according to his representative. He was 91.
As Smitty, Williams was one half of a crimefighting duo who appeared on 22 episodes of the classic show. His partner, Officer “Hoppy” Hopkins — played by Howard Platt — would often lead off a scene with an “official” stiff police explanation of their investigation. Smitty would then interpret in plain English for Fred and Lamont — played by Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson, respectively.
For viewers, watching the duo walk into a scene was akin to seeing Aunt Esther appear: You knew something funny was about to happen.
Williams once told WKYC that the origins of the characters’ schtick came in rehearsal.
“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.’”
He also appeared again as Smitty on five episodes of NBC’s Sanford in 1980, which saw Foxx return to the titular role.
Williams’ career stretched for the better part of six decades and he worked steadily. Though his role on Sanford may be the most recognizable, he had even longer stints on ABC’s On the Rocks (24 episodes) and the full run of the Private Benjamin TV adaptation, on which he played the curmudgeonly Sgt. Ted Ross. Another extended stint came as Rudy Bryan on 20 episodes of The Sinbad Show.
From 1985-1990, Williams was a key part of 227, on which he played Lester Jenkins. That show was a cultural touchstone as the only other Black middle class family series on at the time besides Coby. The star-studded cast included Helen Martin, Marla Gibbs, Regina King, Jackée Harry, Paul Winfield and others.
Throughout his 55-year career, Williams earned guest appearances on TV staples such as That Girl, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Cannon, Police Woman, Gunsmoke, Police Story, Quincy M.E, Good Times, Knots Landing, The Waltons, The Dukes of Hazzard, Webster, Hill Street Blues, Magnum P.I., Night Court, L.A. Law, Suddenly Susan, Moesha and Parks and Recreation.
Most recently, he made two special guest appearances on the rebooted Matlock starring Kathy Bates. He recurred as “Autry,” a local resident whose testimony impacts the firm’s cases.
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On the big screen, Williams appeared opposite George C. Scott in Paul Schrader’s Hardcore, alongside Clint Eastwood in The Rookie, with James Earl Jones, Billy Dee Williams and Courtney B. Vance in Percy & Thunder, opposite Ashton Kutcher, Bernie Mac and Zoe Saldaña in Guess Who and as Denzel Washington’s father in Flight.
The actor was a longtime board member of the Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre (LAAT) founded by Ralph Waite. Decades ago, Williams established the Mark K.A. Williams Memorial Scholarship Foundation to provide funds to students of color pursuing college degrees in television/communications. The Foundation is named for the actor’s late son, Mark, a broadcasting major, who died on a camping trip in the Angeles National Forest at 20 years old.
Williams is survived by two children, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by Mark.
