Hal Williams, ‘227’ Star and ‘Sanford and Son’ Regular, Dies at 91
Hal Williams, the TV veteran who appeared in American sitcom staples like “227” and “Sanford and Son,” had died, according to his manager. Williams...
Key points
- Hal Williams, the TV veteran who appeared in American sitcom staples like “227” and “Sanford and Son,” had died, according to his manager.
- Williams starred as Lester Jenkins, who, in the show, was husband to Marla Gibbs’ Mary Jenkins and father to Regina King’s Brenda Jenkins.
- Williams appeared in 22 episodes of “Sanford and Son” as Officer “Smitty” Smith.
- Popular on Variety In a recent interview with WKYC, Williams explained how the Smitty and Hoppy gag came to be: “We did it in one time in rehearsal and the producers thought it was funny.
What happened
Hal Williams, the TV veteran who appeared in American sitcom staples like “227” and “Sanford and Son,” had died, according to his manager. Williams starred as Lester Jenkins, who, in the show, was husband to Marla Gibbs’ Mary Jenkins and father to Regina King’s Brenda Jenkins. Williams appeared in 22 episodes of “Sanford and Son” as Officer “Smitty” Smith. Popular on Variety In a recent interview with WKYC, Williams explained how the Smitty and Hoppy gag came to be: “We did it in one time in rehearsal and the producers thought it was funny. [The producers would then say,] ‘Go out, take a break for two hours, and bring us something back.’” Williams’ other TV credits include “On the Rocks,” “The Waltons,” “Private Benjamin” and “The Sinbad Show.” His most recent TV role was on CBS’ “Matlock” remake. On the film side, Williams appeared in “Hardcore,” “The Rookie,” “Percy & Thunder,” “Guess Who” and “Flight.”
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