Clarence Williams III was born in New York City on August 21 1939. He became interested in acting while young when he accidentally walked onto a stage located in a theatre beneath a Harlem YMCA. He served in the United States Army as a paratrooper. After he left the military, he made his debut on Broadway in The Long Dream in 1960. During the Sixties he also appeared on Broadway in Slow Dance on the Killing Ground and The Great Indoors.
Clarence Williams III made his film debut in 1959 in an uncredited role in Pork Chop Hill (1959). During the Sixties he appeared in the movies The Cool World (1963). He made his television debut in an episode of Directions in 1966. He guest starred in episodes of Daktari and Tarzan before being cast as Linc on The Mod Squad. He remained with The Mod Squad for the entirety of its run, from 1968 to 1973.
In the Seventies he guest starred on the TV shows Orson Welles' Great Mysteries and The Littlest Hobo. He reprised his role as Linc in the TV reunion movie The Return of the Mod Squad in 1979. On Broadway he appeared in Night and Day. In the Eighties, Mr. Williams appeared in the movies Purple Rain (1984), 52 Pick-Up (1986), Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987), Perfect Victims (1988), I'm Gonna Get You Sucka (1988), and Maniac Cop 2 (1990). He guest starred on the TV shows Hill Street Blues, ABC Afternoon Specials, T.J. Hooker, The Cosby Show, Miami Vice, Hell Town, The Highwayman, Gabriel's Fire, and Shades of LA, Twin Peaks.
In the Nineties Clarence Williams III appeared in the movies My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys (1992), Deep Cover (1992), Deadfall (1993), Sugar Hill (1993), Tales from the Hood (1995), The Immortals (1995), The Silencers (1996), The Brave (1997), Sprung (1997), Hoodlum (1997), Half Baked (1998), Frogs for Snakes (1998), Starstruck (1998), La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano (1998), Life (1999), The General's Daughter (1999), Reindeer Games (1999), Civility (2000), and Ritual (2000). He guest starred on the shows Jake and the Fatman, Tales from the Crypt, New York Undercover, The Cosby Mysteries, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Millennium, Walker Texas Ranger, The Wonderful World of Disney, Profiler, Resurrection Blvd., and Law & Order.
In the Naughts he played the regular role of Philby on the series of Mystery Woman TV movies. He guest starred on the shows Judging Amy, Miracles, Fastlane, Skin, Karen Cisco, Everybody Hates Chris, Burn Notice, Cold Case, Justified, and Memphis Beat. He appeared in the movies Mindstorm (2001), Blue Hill Avenue (2001), Imposter (2001), Happy Here and Now (2002), The Extreme Team (2003), Constellation (2005), The Blue Hour (2007), American Gangster (2007), The Way of War (2009), and A Day in the Life (2009).
In the Teens he guest starred on the TV show Empire. He appeared in the movies The Butler (2013) and Mr. Malevolent (2018).
Clarence Williams III was a wonderful actor. As Linc Hayes on The Mod Squad he was easily the coolest character on the shows. As Philby, the former secret agent turned bookstore caretaker, he was also easily the coolest character on the show. That having been said, he could play a wide array of characters, from The Kid's abusive father in Purple Rain to the black power leader Kalina in I'm Goona Get You Sucka. Indeed, while Clarence Williams III may be best known for The Mod Squad, he was a adept at comedy as he was drama. He was a very versatile actor.
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