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Thursday, July 16, 2026 7:47PM
Hollywood is saying goodbye to a beloved sitcom star.
Hal Williams, best known as Lester Jenkins on “227” and Officer “Smitty” Smith on “Sanford and Son,” died Wednesday at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, according to Deadline. He was 91.
Details about his death were not disclosed.
Hal Williams arrives at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
The veteran actor appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career that spanned five decades.
He was a fixture guest-starring on plenty of programs from “The Jeffersons” to “Magnum, P.I.,” to a more dramatic role on “The Waltons.” His last appearance on TV was in 2025 on “Matlock.”
His film roles included working with Clint Eastwood in “The Rookie” and with Goldie Hawn in “Private Benjamin.”
