It would eventually cost him what would have been a successful career. He was 81. He was 81. He also served as artist-in-residence at Brandeis University in 1966.[6]. Clarence Williams III, actor in "The Mod Squad" and - CBS News Clarence Williams III - Biography - IMDb His body of work also included movies The Cool World (1963), Deep Cover (1992), Hoodlum (1997), Life (1999), Impostor (2001), Constellation (2005), American Gangster (2007), A Day in the Life (2009) and Lee Daniels The Butler (2013) and appearances on TVsHill Street Blues, Miami Vice, Law & Order, Everybody Hates Chris, Burn Notice, Justified and Empire. Department of Emergency Medicine. Clarence Williams III, the US actor who played Prince's father in Purple Rain and also starred in 1960s show The Mod Squad, has died at the age of 81. So sad to hear about #PeggyLiptonFrom the #ModSquad to #TwinPeaks and everything in between.Sweet, kind, beautiful & very cool.What a career what a life.Love, light, strength & prayers for Quincy, Kidada & Rashida.She always made me smile and ALWAYS made my heart flutter. He portrayed Linc Hayes, a hip undercover police officer who was teamed with Peggy Lipton and Michael Cole. The actor went on to act in Twin Peaks, in which Lipton also appeared, as well as such films as The General's Daughter, Reindeer Games and Johnny Depp's The Brave. Lipton was 72, and she received a Golden Globes Award in '71 for her performance on the Aaron Spelling produced show. Clarence Williams III, 'The Mod Squad' and 'Purple Rain' star, dies at Williams died Friday in Los. 2023 BBC. Williams died on June 4 in Los Angeles of colon cancer, his management company confirmed to USA TODAY. Clarence Williams III, Linc on 'The Mod Squad', Dead at 81 - TVLine Personal life [ edit] Foster and Williams in The Mod Squad episode in 1970. Williams' management cited the cause of death as colon cancer. Honest, funny, nurturing, oh and loved some good, juicy, gossip", Im heartbroken. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. First they got busted; then they got badges summarized the shows back story: three hippies in trouble with the law who then joined the police force as plainclothes cops with built-in disguises their youth and their counterculture personas. June 4, 2021 Michael Cole (born July 3, 1940) is an American actor. The veteran actor starred on the counter-culture police series "The Mod Squad" alongside. [9], "The Mod Squad TV Show Unofficial Home Page w/ Pictures & Episode Guide", "The book on Madison's 'Mod Squad' star Michael Cole", "Mystery Woman: At First Sight (TV Movie 2006)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Cole_(actor)&oldid=1148866774, This page was last edited on 8 April 2023, at 19:51. He can be seen in films such as 52 Pick-Up, Life, The Cool World, Deep Cover, Tales from the Hood, Half-Baked, King: A Filmed Record Montgomery to Memphis, Hoodlum, Frogs for Snakes, Starstruck, The General's Daughter, Reindeer Games, Impostor, and as the early jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton in The Legend of 1900. Iconic Actor Clarence Williams III dies at 81 - New Pittsburgh Courier Williams portrayed Prince's father in 1984's "Purple Rain" and . Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He said he really enjoyed how each movie revealed a little more about Philby, keeping aspects of the character mysterious. The New York Times drama critic Howard Taubman wrote of his performance, "Mr. Williams glides like a dancer, giving his long, fraudulently airy speeches the inner rhythms of fear and showing the nakedness of terror when he ceases to pretend." The actor best known for his breakout role playing undercover police officer Linc Hayes on the 1960s TV series "The Mod Squad," alongside costars Peggy Lipton and Michael Cole passed away . In the latter's case, it was genetic, and affected her mother, sister, and son; they all died before her. She had just attended a Hollywood party, where a couple of actresses in their 40s were noticeably full of energy and ambition. Williams added that he loved acting and wasnt interested in switching to directing the movies. KIDADA and Rashida shes your angel.". His interest in acting began when he visited a Harlem Y.M.C.A., where his sister was working, and dropped in to watch a plays run-through. It starts with one taste until a person becomes hooked, and would do anything for that which they are addicted to. god bless you. His mother is omitted from his biographies. He is survived by his sister Sondra Pugh, daughter Jamey Phillips, niece Suyin Shaw, grandnephews Elliot Shaw and Ese Shaw, and grandniece Azaria Verdin. Television brought Mr. Williams new opportunities too. Addiction is like a thief that sneaks up on an unsuspecting victim. Cole Hauser's Wife Sacrificed an Egg to Help Twin Sister Have Her Niece Meet the 'Sweet Valley High' Stars, 'Yellowstone' Star Wes Bentley's Children Saved His Life Following His Addiction and Unemployment, 'Family Affair's' Johnny Whitaker's Family Threatened to 'Divorce' Him after He Became Penniless, Patrick Swayze's Last Words Before He Slipped into a Coma, Martin Sheen's Longtime Wife Helped Him 'Heal Psychically' When He Thought He Was Going to Die, Meet Charlotte Raes 2 Kids with Husband of 25 Years Who Fell in Love with Man of His Dreams', Colin Farrell Was Told Son James Padraig May Never Walk He Gave up Drugs to Fight for Him. Before he passed away, he said to look out for her. Sean Michael Coulthard (born December 8, 1968), better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator. In high school, his schoolmates made fun of him because he reeked of beer, and he once said about tasting alcohol early, "I think it had a lot to do with [my addiction], but if I had said anything, it would have sounded like an excuse.". As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. In 1974, Ms. Lipton married Quincy Jones, the Grammy Award-winning musician and producer, and largely retired from acting with the exception of a television movie, The Return of Mod Squad, in 1979, which she did as a personal favor to old friends. He also said that he enjoyed the way the movies are presented in general: allowing viewers to slowly learn more clues and solve each mystery themselves, too. god bless you. Then [Williams] drove off and smashed right into a telephone pole. Clarence Williams III, star of "The Mod Squad" and known among Hallmark fans as a lead character in the "Mystery Woman" series, has died at the age of 81. Clarence Williams III on Mystery Woman. Clarence Williams III, best known for portraying Linc on TV's The Mod Squad, has died at the age of 81, according to The Hollywood Reporter. While Cole might have started on the wrong track, he is now healthy and happy. Im proud of what I did. We stopped in 1972 and people still bring it up to me when Im walking in airports or down the boulevard. Promotional studio portrait of actors Michael Cole (L), Clarence Williams III and Peggy Lipton for the television series, 'The Mod Squad,' c. 1968. Mr. Action Crime Drama The trio's investigation of a cover-up in a construction-site murder leads them to a pair of bad heavies. He was 81. He is currently signed to WWE, where he serves as the play-by-play commentator for the SmackDown brand and as the Vice-president of Announcing since 2020. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. 'Mod Squad' Actor Clarence Williams III Passes Away at 81 - AmoMama Grants Articles . [2], Williams began pursuing an acting career after spending two years as a paratrooper in C Company, 506th Infantry, of the 101st Airborne Division. The tag line First they got busted, then they got badges referred to three attractive, streetwise flower children (One black, one white, one blonde, as another tag line explained) who, after some trouble with the law, joined the police force and worked undercover. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Clarence Williams III, who played the cool undercover cop Linc Hayes on the counterculture series The Mod Squad and Prince's father in Purple Rain, has died. In the series, Williams played the role of Philby, a man with a mysterious past who helps Samantha solve mysteries. He was married three times and divorced twice. The actor had a troubled childhood, and at age 12, he already had his first taste of alcohol. Clarence Williams III Dead: 'Mod Squad,' 'Purple Rain' Star - Variety The prolific actor was also known for his roles on Purple Rain, Twin Peaks, and numerous other productions. #PeggyLipton pic.twitter.com/wrrtNQCUP2, Holly Robinson Peete said, "So glad I got a chance to tell her that her character on #ModSquad was an inspiration for Judy Hoffs on 21 Jump Street. Clarence Williams III - Wikipedia He changed his mind, however, when he read the script and gathered the show's potential appeal. Williams died in Los Angeles on June 4, 2021, from colon cancer at the age of 81. So I kept an eye on her because she has a tendency to run out and do things.. Chris Meloni's Mom Knew Sherman Williams Was "The One" First . After . He is best known for his role as Pete Cochran on the television crime drama The Mod Squad (1968-1973). Clarence Williams III, star of The Mod Squad and known among Hallmark fans as a lead character in the Mystery Woman series, has died at the age of 81. He also appeared in films such as Purple Rain, 52 Pick-Up, Tales from the Hood, Hoodlum, Half Baked, Life, American Gangster and Reindeer Games. On the big screen, the Harlem native portrayed Princes troubled father in Purple Rain (1984) and was Wesley Snipes and Michael Wrights drug-addled dad in Sugar Hill (1993). Cole has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, beginning in 1961 with a role in the film drama Forbid Them Not. Williams was married to actress Gloria Foster (Oracle in the first two Matrix movies) from 1967-84. Clarence Williams III, 'The Mod Squad' Actor, Dead at 81 Clarence Williams III, who was considered a Black power icon in the 1960s and '70s, breathed his last on Friday, June 4. After the family moved to Los Angeles, in 1964, Peggy, then in her late teens, moved out. They were most definitely the hippest and coolest undercover cops on television at the time, notes the website Groovy History. The show addressed issues such as the Vietnam War, drugs and domestic violence. 'Mod Squad' Star Clarence Williams III Dead At 81 - HuffPost It also didn't help that his locker was full of alcohol. He was 81. Prince's estate paid tribute to him for. She made her television debut as a secretary on an episode of the sitcom Bewitched in 1965 and followed that with guest spots on series including Mr. The actor chronicled his addiction and recovery in his memoir, and once stated that it took a lot of pain and tears to write it. He went on to play FBI agent Roger Hardy on the original Twin Peaks and the humanoid Ometiklan on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Out of the three, the latter passed away in 2019. Spanning over forty years, his career included the role of Prince's tormented father, who was also a musician, in Purple Rain (1984), A guest appearance in Miami Vice (1985), a recurring role in the surreal TV series Twin Peaks (1990), a good cop in Deep Cover (1992), a rioter in the mini-series Against the Wall (1994), and Wesley Snipes' chemically dependent father in Sugar Hill (1993). He was 81. Williams career started on the Broadway stage where he earned a Tony nomination for his acting in the three-person drama, "Slow Dance." Powered by. She was nominated for Emmys and won a Golden Globe in 1971 for her performance. Comedian Kathy Griffin said she was "heartbroken":"Ive honestly always thought of Peggy asperfect. Clarence Williams III (August 21, 1939 June 4, 2021) was an American actor. The cause was colon cancer, his manager, Allan Mindel, said. The Wisconsin native married Shelley Funes in '96, and when she saw that he would drink himself to his grave, she gave him an ultimatum. Ive honestly always thought of Peggy asperfect. An actor of uncommon intensity, Williams began his career on the stage and earned a Tony nomination in 1965 for best featured actor in a play for his work in the powerful three-person drama Slow Dance on the Killing Ground. Williams rose to fame in 1968 with his role on the cop show The Mod Squad, where he starred with Peggy Lipton and Michael Cole until the early 1970s. In a 2006 interview, Williams told The Buffalo News that Philbys mysterious past with the government appealed to him and was part of the reason he wanted the role. By the end of the evening he had been cast in the production. And you enjoy being a witness., Peggy Lipton, Mod Squad and Twin Peaks Actress, Dies at 72, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/12/obituaries/peggy-lipton-mod-squad-dead.html. Spelling then gave Williams a small part as a reluctant getaway driver on an anthology series that he and Danny Thomas were producing. His father was musician Clay Williams while his grandparents were composer-pianist Clarence Williams and singer-actress Eva Taylor. He was a crazed blackmailer in John Frankenheimers 52 Pick-Up (1986) and a wild-eyed storytelling mortician in Tales From the Hood (1995). She was battling cancer. Cole's boyish good looks and brooding, deep-voiced personality meshed perfectly with his character's backstorya ne'er-do-well son of wealthy parents who had evicted him from their home after he had stolen a car. Clarence Williams III, Linc on 'The Mod Squad,' Dies at 81 Following their divorce, they remained friendly and, upon her . Clarence Williams III, the reflectively intense actor who starred as Linc Hayes, a young, hip undercover police officer on ABCs The Mod Squad, died on Friday in Los Angeles. operative in 10 Mystery Woman movies (2003-07). Ms. Lipton received a diagnosis of colon cancer in 2004.