Hal Williams

Halroy Candis Williams[1] (born December 14, 1938)[2] is an American actor, best known for his recurring roles as Police Officer Smith ("Smitty") on Sanford and Son (1972–1976), Harley Foster on The Waltons (1973-1980), and as the patriarch Lester Jenkins, the husband of Marla Gibbs's character, on the NBC sitcom 227 which originally aired from 1985 until 1990. His film credits include Private Benjamin (1980), Guess Who (2005), and Flight (2012).

Hal Williams
Williams at The Waltons' 40th anniversary, 2012
Born
Halroy Candis Williams

(1938-12-14) December 14, 1938
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1968–present
Known forLester Jenkins – 227
Smitty – Sanford and Son
Spouses
Gay Anderson
​
​
(m. 1975; div. 1976)​
    Renee W. Himes
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1978; div. 1984)​
    Children3

    Early life and career

    Williams was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio.[3][4] In the early 1960s, he began acting in community theater in Ohio. Williams worked as a postal worker and corrections officer before moving to Hollywood to pursue an acting career in 1968.[5]

    Williams began pursuing his acting career full-time in 1970. Since then, Willams has appeared in movies such as Paul Schrader's Hardcore, Howard Zieff's Private Benjamin (he also portrayed the role of Sgt L.C. "Ted" Ross in the television series of the same name), and Clint Eastwood's The Rookie. In the early to mid-1990s, he starred in many of comic Sinbad's productions, including The Sinbad Show and The Cherokee Kid. In one of his latest films, Williams portrayed the grandfather in the Bernie Mac film Guess Who which was released in 2005.

    Personal life

    Williams has been married twice and has three children. On April 11, 1975, Williams married Gay Anderson; they were divorced in November 1976.

    Selected credits

    Theater
    Year Production Role Theater(s) Notes
    1981Nevis Mountain DewBoise McCanlesLos Angeles Actors Theatre

    Film
    Year Title Role Notes
    1972Cool BreezeHarry, PolicemanUncredited
    1974Herbie Rides AgainTicketing Police Officer
    1979HardcoreBig Dick Blaque
    1980On the NickelPaul
    1980Private BenjaminSergeant L.C. Ross
    1982The Escape ArtistCop At Mayor's Office
    1990The RookieDetective Powell
    1996The Cherokee KidReverend Peel
    2005Guess WhoHoward Jones
    2011Night ClubResident Playing Cards At Casino Night
    2012FlightWhip's DadVoice

    Television
    Year Title Role Notes
    1971The Jimmy Stewart Show Lt. Quigley1 episode
    1971 That Girl Herbie Robinson 2 Episodes
    1972–1976Sanford and SonOfficer 'Smitty' Smith20 episodes
    1973Kung FuCaleb BrownSeason 2, Episode 1 - "The Well"
    1973-1980The WaltonsHarley Foster7 episodes
    1975GunsmokeWidgeSeason 14, Episode 20 - "Hard Labor"
    1975S.W.A.T.Bo TateSeason 1, Episode 12 - "Sole Survivor"
    1975-1976On the RocksLester DeMott24 episodes
    1977Quincy, M.E.CodySeason 2, Episode 9 - "The Hot Dog Murder"
    1979Roots: The Next GenerationsAleck HaleySeason 1, Episode 3 - "Part III (1914-1918)"
    1979What's Happening!!Mr. LoganSeason 3, Episode 17 - "The Eviction"
    1979The White ShadowHenry JuddSeason 2, Episode 3 - "Sudden Death"
    1980Knots LandingMagazine Owner2 episodes
    1980-1981SanfordOfficer 'Smitty' Smith5 episodes
    1982TJ HookerOfficer BryanSeason 1, Episode 1 - "The Protectors"
    1981–1983Private BenjaminSergeant Ted Ross39 episodes
    1984The Dukes of HazzardJonas JonesSeason 6, Episode 21 - "Cooter's Confession"
    1984WebsterPrincipal JenkinsSeason 2, Episode 2 - "Webster Long: Part 3"
    1984The JeffersonsKent TobinSeason 11, Episode 5 - "Some Enchanted Evening"
    1984Gimme a Break!Dr. Phil GraySeason 4, Episode 10 - "Julie's Lie"
    1985–1990227Lester Jenkins115 episodes
    1986Hill Street BluesKen EdwardsSeason 6, Episode 15 - "I Want My Hill Street Blues"
    1988Magnum, P.I.Dave, the DJ2 episodes
    1993–1994The Sinbad ShowRudy Bryan18 episodes
    2019A Black Lady Sketch ShowHimselfSeason 1, Episode 3 - "3rd & Bonaparte Is Always in the Shade"

    References
    1. "Every detail you want to know about Hal Williams". University Wire. August 18, 2022. ProQuest 532496921. Full name: Halroy Candis Williams; Date of birth: December 14, 1938; Place of birth: Ohio, United States of America
    2. Merrill, Brian (2006). On This Date A Day-By-Day Look at Historical Events. Lulu Publishing. p. 225. ISBN 978-1-4303-0501-9.
    3. Kotta, Carmen (October 10, 1981). "The Face Is Familiar: Hal Williams, Actor!". The Afro-American. p. A4. ProQuest 532496921. Williams was born in Columbus, Ohio, where he spent his time going to movies and wishing he could be a cowboy.
    4. Hill, Anthony D. (2018). Historical Dictionary of African American Theater. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 555. ISBN 9781538117286.
    5. "Small role led Hal Williams to big part on NBC's hit '227'". Frederick News Post. Associated Press. 3 September 1987. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.