Hal Williams has sadly passed away at the age of 91. He was best known for his roles in The Waltons and Sandford and Son. A representative for Williams informed Deadline of his passing. He passed away at his home in Rancho Mirage.
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Williams had an interesting road to success. Before acting, he worked as a social worker, postal worker and even a corrections officer. However, amid a failing marriage, he decided to pursue a dream.
"I sat down after getting divorced and said, 'What do I really want to try to do before the maker comes and gets me?' And it was acting. So, I took the plunge and drove to California in 48 hours," Williams previously told Get TV. "I gave myself three years."
Of course, things turned out pretty well for Williams. In 1972, he secured the role of Officer Smith on Sanford and Son, appearing in 20 episodes.
During a 2022 interview with Tell-Tale TV, Williams shed some light on his role within the show. He noted that he and the rest of the crew were often given freedom to come up with their own lines.
"They used to tell us they didn't have anything to do that week and to go make up some lines," Williams reminisced about the show in a 2022 interview with Tell-Tale TV. "So I would go with Howard (Platt) 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..That was a fun show."
Hal Williams Had Acting Credits to His Name
According to IMDB, Williams' career ended with 76 acting credits to his name. His most recent work came via two cameo episodes of Matlock between 2024 and 2025. Back in the early 90s, Williams also appeared in 20 episodes of Sinbad, where he played Rudy Bryan.
Some other notable shows Williams appeared in are Magnum P.I., The Jeffersons, Moesha, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Good Times.
Currently, no information regarding Williams' death has been released. Furthermore, any details regarding his funeral have been kept private.
