Hal Williams, Longtime TV Actor and Sanford and Son’s Smitty, Dies at 91

Veteran actor Hal Williams, best known for playing Officer Smitty Smith on Sanford and Son, has died at 91 in Rancho Mirage. Williams appeared in 22 episodes of the classic series and later continued his six-decade career with roles on On the Rocks, the Private Benjamin TV adaptation, The Sinbad Show, and 227, along with film work in Hardcore, The Rookie, Guess Who and Flight. He was a longtime board member of the Los Angeles Actors’ Theatre and founded the Mark K.A. Williams Memorial Scholarship Foundation in honor of his late son. He is survived by two children, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.