July 16, 2026
Hal Williams, a familiar face on TV since 1970, died July 15 at 91.
He was best known as Lester Jenkins on 227 from 1985-1990. He was Mary’s (Marla Gibbs) husband on the show, a rare sitcom about the Black middle class that also featured Jackée Harry and future Oscar winner Regina King.
His other long-running gig was as Smitty on Sanford and Son, on which he logged 20 episodes (1972-1977). With his death and the recent deaths of Demond Wilson and Lynn Hamilton, the only actor alive who made five or more appearances on Sanford and Son is Howard Platt, 88.
Williams was born in Columbus, Ohio, on December 14, 1934. He worked in local theater before moving to L.A. to acting full time in 1970.
Some of his earliest TV gigs included Swing Out, Sweet Land (1970), That Girl (1970-1971) and The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1972).
While appearing on Sanford and Son, he was also Harley on The Waltons (1973-1980) and guested on Good Times (1974-1978).
Williams was also a regular on On the Rocks (1975-1976) and on the forgotten but fairly successful Private Benjamin (1981-1983), not to mention his run on The Sinbad Show (1993-1994).
Other TV work included played a Haley in Roots: The Next Generations (1979) and guesting on Moesha (1997) and Parks and Recreation (2015), ending with a two-episode arc on Matlock (2024 & 2025).
Williams had a more limited reach in film, but acted in Cool Breeze (1972), Herbie Rides Again (1974), the George C. Scott drama Hardcore (1979), On the Nickel (1980), the film version of Private Benjamin (1980), The Escape Artist (1982), Clint Eastwood’s The Rookie (1990), Guess Who (2005) and Night Club (2011).
When the actor’s son died at 20 on a camping trip, he established a scholarship fund in his name to help actors of color seeking media careers.
Williams is survived by his two children, this three grandchildren and by his three great-grandchildren.⚡️
May he rest in peace. He was a great actor. My condolences to his family