Clarence Williams III, a star of Mod Squad, is dead at 81
The Mod Squad, which ran from 1968 to 1973, was one of the first of its kind a prime-time network series that focused on members of the hippie generation at the same time that it exploited them.
by Anita Gates
(NYT NEWS SERVICE)
.- Clarence Williams III, the reflectively intense actor who starred as Linc Hayes, the young, hip undercover police officer with the perfect Afro and a way with the word solid on ABCs The Mod Squad, died Friday in Los Angeles. He was 81.
The cause was colon cancer, his manager, Allan Mindel, said.
His breakout role would come with “The Mod Squad,” which he led with Peggy Lipton and Michael Cole. Bill Cosby had seen Williams perform and told Aaron Spelling he should consider him for the role of Linc. The show ran on ABC from 1968 through 1973. A trailblazing show for attempting to portray the hippie generation of the time, “The Mod Squad” was a star-maker for all three. But roles were not quick to follow for Williams.
He appeared on Broadway opposite Maggie Smith in Tom Stoppard’s “Night and Day” in 1979 before getting cast as the troubled father in “Purple Rain,” which came out in 1984.
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The Mod Squad and Prince’s father in
Purple Rain, has died. He was 81.
Williams died Friday at his home in Los Angeles after a battle with colon cancer, his manager Allan Mindel said Sunday.
A native of New York, Williams s career spanned over five decades in theater, television, and film. He was born into a creative family in 1939 and raised by his musical grandparents. His grandfather was a jazz composer and pianist, his father a musician, and his mother, Eva Taylor, a singer and actress. He got his acting start on Broadway after a stint as a paratrooper and received a Tony nomination for his role in William Hanley’s
Clarence Williams III Tragic Cause of Death Confirmed: Purple Rain Actor Dead at 81, Obituary, Details And More
Clarence Williams III, popularly known for his roles in The Mod Squad and Purple Rain , has passed away at the age of 81.
In an obituary published by Variety, the actor s management confirmed that his cause of death is colon cancer.
Williams was born on August 21, 1939. He spent his early days in New York City where he was born and raised.
As a kid, the late actor was exposed to acting and music as his father was a professional muscisian, he was also raised by his grand mother who s a singer and an actress, as well as his grand father who s a composer and pianist.