Actor Clarence Williams has died, The Associated Press reports. Williams, who was known for his roles in Mod Squad and Purple Rain, was 81 years old. His manager Allan Mindel confirmed Williams died Friday, June 4, at home in Los Angeles after a battle with colon cancer.
Williams, a New York native, was born August 21, 1939. His career began with “Dark of the Moon,” which later led to a stint on Broadway’s “The Great Outdoors.” His continued performing onstage with William Hanley’s “Slow Dance on the Killing Ground,” appearing in a 1964 production that earned him a Tony nomination.
While he found success as a stage actor, Williams established himself as an onscreen presence in 1968 with the premiere of Mod Squad, a series he starred in alongside Peggy Lipton and Michael Cole. Williams played Linc, an undercover cop, until the series came to an end on ABC in 1973.
When Mod Squad ended, Williams went on to appear in Director John Frankenheimer’s 52 Pick-Up, later collaborating with the director on Against the Wall, Reindeer Games, and Tales from the Crypt. Throughout his career, Williams appeared in shows like Twin Peaks, Miami Vice, Hill Street Blues, Everybody Hates Chris, and Justified. He also starred in numerous films, including Purple Rain, Tales from the Hood, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, and American Gangster.
After the news of Williams’ death broke, tributes poured in on Twitter, including one from Lenny Kravitz, who wrote, “When I was a kid growing up in NYC Clarence Williams III was a face on TV that I identified with and that inspired me. From the Mod Squad, to Purple Rain and Sugar Hill, he always performed with dynamic energy. Rest in power, king.”
Williams is survived by his sister Sondra Pugh, daughter Jamey Phillips, niece Suyin Shaw, grandnephews Elliot Shaw and Ese Shaw and grandniece Azaria Verdin, per CNN.