Hal Williams Dead: Sanford and Son, 227 Actor Dies at 91
- Veteran actor Hal Williams, famed for roles in Sanford and Son and 227, died at his Rancho Mirage home on July 15, 2026, aged 91
- Williams played Officer Smitty Smith on Sanford and Son before landing his signature role as Lester Jenkins in the NBC sitcom 227 for five seasons
- The actor also featured in films like Private Benjamin, Guess Who and Flight, and leaves behind his wife and three children
Veteran actor Hal Williams, popular for appearing on sitcoms Sanford and Son and 227, has died. He was 91.
Williams reportedly died on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, according to his manager, who confirmed the death to Variety. TMZ reported that he died from natural causes.
He was best known to a generation of viewers as Lester Jenkins, the good-natured husband and father at the centre of the NBC comedy 227, which ran from 1985 to 1990. Williams starred opposite Marla Gibbs, who played his wife, Mary, and Regina King, who played their daughter, Brenda.
Earlier, Williams appeared as Officer Smitty Smith on Sanford and Son, the Redd Foxx-led NBC hit, turning up in about 20 episodes between 1972 and 1976. The character was paired with Howard Platt's Officer Hoppy Hopkins in a recurring bit in which Hopkins spouted police jargon, and Smith translated it into plain language.
Williams also had recurring roles as Harley Foster on The Waltons and appeared in films such as Private Benjamin (1980), Guess Who (2005) and Flight (2012). His later work included a guest role on the CBS reboot of Matlock.
He was married twice and had three children.
More about Hal Williams
Hal Williams was born Halroy Candis Williams on Dec. 14, 1934, in Columbus, Ohio. Williams took an unconventional path to Hollywood. He worked as a postal worker and a corrections officer before moving west to pursue acting in 1968, going full-time in 1970.
His breakthrough came as Officer "Smitty" Smith on "Sanford and Son" (1972–1976), a role he reprised on the spinoff "Sanford" (1980–1981). Alongside it, he built a steady run of guest and recurring television work, appearing on "The Waltons" (1973–1980), "Kung Fu," "Gunsmoke," "S.W.A.T.," "Roots: The Next Generations," "The White Shadow," "The Jeffersons" and "Hill Street Blues."
Williams was a main cast member on "On the Rocks" (1975–1976) and reprised his drill sergeant character in the "Private Benjamin" TV series (1981–1983) after the 1980 film. His signature role arrived with "227," where he played Lester Jenkins for the show's entire five-season run.
Later credits included "The Sinbad Show" (1993–1994), "Moesha," a self-appearance on "A Black Lady Sketch Show" (2019) and a two-episode arc as Autry on the "Matlock" revival (2024–2025).
On the big screen, his filmography spanned "Cool Breeze" (1972), "Hardcore" (1979), "Private Benjamin" (1980), "The Rookie" (1990), "The Cherokee Kid" (1996), "Guess Who" (2005) and "Flight" (2012), in which he voiced the father of Denzel Washington's character.
Source: YEN.com.gh
