Clarence Williams III, who played the cool undercover cop Linc Hayes on the counterculture series 鈥淭he Mod Squad鈥� and Prince鈥檚 father in 鈥淧urple Rain,鈥� 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. Tributes came quickly on social media from both those who worked with Williams and those who admired him for his trailblazing roles and impactful performances.
鈥淭ales from the Hood鈥� director Rusty Cundieff tweeted that his sadness over Williams' passing, 鈥渃annot be overstated. His artistry and sheer coolness was extraordinary. I will forever be in his debt for his brilliant performance in Tales From the Hood. Loved working with him! Blessed travels good sir!鈥�
Lenny Kravitz wrote on Twitter, 鈥淲hen 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.鈥�
Director Peyton Reed tweeted that he worked with Williams on the TV movie 鈥淭he Love Bug鈥� in 1995.
鈥淚 had grown up watching him as Linc in 鈥楾he Mod Squad鈥� and thought he was the epitome of cool. Turns out he was. Rest In Peace, Clarence,鈥� Reed wrote.
A native of New York, Williams 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鈥檚 鈥淪low Dance on the Killing Ground鈥� in 1964.
His breakout role would come with 鈥淭he Mod Squad,鈥� 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 from on ABC from 1968 through 1973. A trailblazing show for attempting to portray the hippie generation of the time, 鈥淭he Mod Squad鈥� 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鈥檚 鈥淣ight and Day鈥� in 1979 before getting cast as the troubled father in 鈥淧urple Rain,鈥� which came out in 1984.
Director John Frankenheimer would become a frequent collaborator. They first teamed up for his adaptation of Elmore Leonard鈥檚 鈥�52 Pick-Up鈥� at a time when Williams was not having much luck in Hollywood and crashing on Cosby鈥檚 couch to keep a roof over his head.
鈥淗e asked me to read for the part of one of the blackmailers, but after only four lines, he told me to stop,鈥� Williams recalled in a 1999 interview. 鈥淚 thought it was all over, but he said, 鈥楬ave your agent call me. It will be a 10-week shoot. Thank you for coming in.鈥� That was it.鈥�
Williams also appeared in Frankenheimer鈥檚 鈥淎gainst the Wall,鈥� 鈥淩eindeer Games鈥� and some episodes of 鈥淭ales from the Crypt.鈥�
Williams could command a variety of genres, including comedy. He played a drug lord opposite Dave Chappelle in 鈥淗alf Baked" and stole scenes in Keenen Ivory Wayans' blaxploitation parody film 鈥淚'm Gonna Git You Sucka.鈥� He also had a recurring role as the FBI agent in David Lynch鈥檚 鈥淭win Peaks鈥� who tells Agent Cooper he鈥檚 been suspended.
Other film roles included 鈥淭ales from the Hood,鈥� 鈥淒eep Cover,鈥� 鈥淪ugar Hill, 鈥淭he General's Daughter,鈥� Lee Daniels' 鈥淭he Butler鈥� and an uncredited role in 鈥淎merican Gangster.鈥� And he had many, many television appearances on everything from 鈥淢iami Vice鈥� and 鈥淗ill Street Blues鈥� to 鈥淓verybody Hates Chris鈥� and 鈥淛ustified.鈥�
He was married to the actress Gloria Foster from 1967 to 1984.
Williams never fretted over his longtime association with 鈥淭he Mod Squad," though.
鈥淎ll most people know about me is the two hours they鈥檝e invested in a movie theater or the time spent in front of their TV,鈥� he said in an interview in 1999. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much entertainment out there right now, it鈥檚 difficult to break through and become part of the national consciousness. It鈥檚 nice to be recognized, and I have no problem with it at all.鈥�
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
