Godspeed Hal Williams

Hal Williams, who played Officer Smitty on Sanford and Son, Lester Jenkins on 227, and Harley Foster on The Waltons died on July 15, 2026, at the age of 91. 

Hal Williams was born on December 14, 1934 in Columbus, Ohio. He worked as a corrections officer and then a postal worker before deciding to go into acting. He made his television debut in a bit part in the special Swing Out, Sweet Land in 1970. that same year he guest starred on Dan August and That Girl.

The Seventies would be a busy decade for Hal Williams. He had a recurring role on Sanford and Son as Officer "Smitty" Smith, the local beat cop. His partner for six episodes was  Officer “Swanny” Swanhauser (Noam Pitlik) and then for the rest of the run Officer “Hoppy” Hopkins (Howard Platt), who constantly mangled Black slang. While he was appearing on Sanford and Son, Hal Williams also had a recurring role on The Waltons as Harley Foster, a mechanic and farmer worked married to Verdie Foster, who was played by another Sanford and Son alumnus, Lynn Hamilton. He was also a regular on the short-lived sitcom On the Rocks. During the Seventies, he guest starred on such shows as The Jimmy Stewart Show; The New Dick Van Dyke Show; Temperatures Rising; The Magician; Cannon; Police Woman; Harry O; Gunsmoke; Caribe; Kung Fu; S.W.A.T.; Police Story; The Jeffersons; Most Wanted; Quincy, M.E.; Good Times; What's Happening!; The White Shadow; Palmerstown, U.S.A.; and Knot's Landing. He appeared in the movies Cool Breeze (1972), Herbie Rides Again (1974), Hardcore (1979), On the Nickel (1980), and Private Benjamin (1980). He appeared in the mini-series Roots: The Next Generation.

In the Eighties, Hal Williams reprised his role as Smitty on the Sanford and Son continuation Sanford and his role as Sgt. Ross on Private Benjamin, the sitcom based on the movie of the same name. He played Lester Jenkins, construction company owner and husband of lead character Mary Jenkins (Marla Gibbs) on the hit sitcom 227. He guest stared on the shows T.J. Hooker; ABC Weekend Specials; ABC Afternoon Specials; The Young Landlords; The Dukes of Hazzard; Webster; The Jeffersons; Gimme a Break!; Hill Street Blues; and Magnum, P.I.. He appeared in the movies The Escape Artist (1982) and The Rookie (1990).

In the Nineties, he had a recurring role as Sinbad's father on The Sinbad Show. He guest starred on the shows Night Court; L.A. Law; Tales form the Crypt; Minor Adjustments; Suddenly Susan; and Moesha. In the Naughts, Hal Williams guest starred on Moonlight. He appeared in the movie Guess Who (2005). In the Teens, he guest starred on the shows The First Family; Parks and Recreation; and The Mayor. He appeared in the movies Night Club (2011) and Flight (2012). In the 2020s, he guest starred on shows Mr. Mayor and Matlock (2024).

When I was a kid, my family faithfully viewed both Sanford and Son and The Waltons, and both shows still number among my favourites. Hal Williams was then a familiar face to me even then, and the fact that he appeared on both shows demonstrated his versatility as an actor. As Officer Smitty, he showed a gift for comedy and was pioneering in playing an intelligent, compassionate Black man in a position of authority. Many times Hal Williams and Howard Platt were allowed to think of the Black slang that Hoppy would inevitably get wrong ("cold" instead of "cool," for example). Harley Foster on The Waltons was a much more serious role, and gave Hal Williams the chance to play a Black manual worker in a place and time where racism was still virulent. That he played both roles so well showed that he had a great deal of range.

Of course, for many he will be remembered as Lester on 227, the calm, level-headed, and compassionate husband to his sharp-tongued, yet warm hearted wife Mary. He will also be remembered as Sgt. Ross, the no-nonsense drill sergeant who was strict, but at the same time fair, in both the movie and the TV show Private Benjamin. Over the years, Hal Williams played a wide variety of roles, from a cook in a mine in the Gumsmoke episode "Hard Labor" to a former slave protecting a secret well on behalf of his community in the Kung Fu episode "The Well." Hal Williams was a talented actor who had a gift for both comedy and drama. 

The Late Great Sam Neill

Sam Neill, known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park movies and appearing in movies from The Hunt for Red October (1990) to Event Horizon (1997), died on July 13, 2026, at the age of 78.

Sam Neill was born Nigel John Dermot Neill on September 14, 1947, in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. His father was a New Zealander stationed with the Royal Irish Fusiliers. His mother was English. The family moved to New Zealand in 1955, where they operated a wine and spirits business. He went to boarding school at Medbury School and Christ’s College in Christchurch. Because several boys at his school were named "Nigel," he took to calling himself "Sam" at school. It was while he was attending the University of Canterbury in Christchurch that he became interested in acting. He appeared in plays while at the university. Following his graduation, he toured with the Players’ Drama Quartet, performing Shakespeare. He spent six years as a director of documentaries with the New Zealand National Film Unit.

Sam Neill made his television debut in 1971 in the TV movie City of No. In the Seventies, he appeared in the mini-series The Governor and the mini-series Lucinda Brayford. He guest starred on the TV series Young Ramsay. He had a recurring role on the Australian series The Sullivans. He made his feature film debut in Landfall in 1975. He appeared in the movies Sleeping Dogs (1977), My Brilliant Career (1978), The Journalist (1979), and Just Out of Reach (1979).

In the Eighties, he appeared in his first major international role, playing Damien Thorn in Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981). He appeared in the movies Attack Force Z (1981), Possession (1981), From a Far Country (1981), Enigma (1982), Plenty (1985), For Love Alone (1986), The Good Wife (1987), Evil Angels (1988), Dead Calm (1989), La révolution française (1989), Shadow of China (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and Death in Bismark (1990). On television he stared in the mini-series Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983). He also appeared in the mini-series Amerika and Kane and Abel. He appeared in such TV movies as Ivanhoe, The Blood of Others, Robbery Under Arms, and Strong Medicine.

In the Nineties, Sam Neill appeared in the movies Bis ans Ende der Welt (1991), Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), Hostage (1992), The Piano (1993), Jurassic Park (1993), Sirens (1994), Country Life (1994), In the Mouth of Madness (1994), The Jungle Book (1994), Restoration (1995), Children of the Revolution (1996),, Victory (1996), Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997), Event Horizon (1997), The Horse Whisperer (1998), The Revengers' Comedies (1998), Molokai: The Story of Father Damien (1999), Bicentennial Man (1999), My Mother Frank (2000), and The Dish (2000). He was a voice in The Magic Pudding (2000). On television, he played the title role in the mini-series Merlin. He appeared in the mini-series Family Pictures, In Cold Blood, and Sally Hemmings: An American Scandal. He guest starred on the shows The Simpsons and The Games.

In the Naughts, Sam Neill appeared in the movies Jurassic Park III (2001), The Zookeeper (2001), Dirty Deeds (2002), Perfect Strangers (2003), Yes (2004), Wimbledon (2004), Little Fish (2005), Irresistible (2006), Angel (2007), Dean Spanley (2008), Skin (2008), In Her Skin (2009), Under the Mountain (2009), and Daybreakers (2009). He was a voice in Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010). On television he had recurring roles on the series The Tudors, Crusoe, and Happy Town. He appeared in the mini-series Doctor Zhivago, To the Ends of the Earth, The Triangle, Mary Bryant, Two Twisted, Merlin's Apprentice, and Iron Road. He guest starred on the show Rake.

In the Teens, Sam Neill appeared in the movies The Dragon Pearl (2011), The Hunter (2011), The Vow (2012), Escape Plan (2013), The Adventures: The Curse of the Midas Box (2013), A Long Way Down (2014), United Passions (2014), Backtrack (2015), The Daughter (2015), MindGamers (2015), Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), Tommy's Honour (2016), Sweet Country (2017), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), The Commuter (2018), Palmer Beach (2019), Blackbird (2019), Ride Like a Girl (2019), and Rams (2020). He provided voices for the animated movies Peter Rabbit (2018) and Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal (2020). On television, he was a regular on the shows Alcataz, Harry, and Peaky Blinders. He appeared in the mini-series Old School, The Dovekeepers, House of Hancock, And Then There Were None, Tutankhamun, and House of Bond. He was a guest voice on Rick and Morty. He guest starred on the shows Short Poppies and Flack.

In the 2020s, Sam Neill appeared on the TV shows Invasion and Untamed. He appeared in the mini-series Apples Never Fall and The Twelve. He appeared in the movies Jurassic World: Dominion (2022), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), Assassin Club (2023), The Portable Door (2023), and Bring Him to Me (2023). He was a voice in the animated movies Scarygirl (2023) and The Fox(2023).

Some actors make a career of playing only a few sorts of roles. That was not the case with Sam Neill, who truly had range. He could play heroes as easily as villains and everything in between. Given how many times he played the role and the popularity of the movies, chances are good that many will remember him best as Dr. Alan Grant, the cynical and introverted paleontologist who nonetheless has a deep respect for nature. Chances are good that he will also always be remembered for the series Reilly: Ace of Spies, playing a fictionalized version of Russian born, British spy Sidney Reilly. In the mini-series Merlin and Merlin's Apprentice, he played Merlin himself. Another heroic role for Sam Neill was Captain Vasily Borodin in The Hunt for Red October, the quiet second in command who longs for freedom as much as his commander does.

As good as Sam Neill was at playing heroic figures, he could also play villainous ones. Among his best known roles is that of Alisdair Stewart in The Piano. Alidair is strict, possessive, controlling, and even violent. In Event Horizon, he played Dr. William S. Weir, the man who developed the ship of the title who goes from a scientist grieving his wife to a sadistic tool of malevolent forces. On Peaky Blinders, he played Inspector Chester Campbell, who was as obsessive as he was cold and calculating. And, of course, he played the Anti-Christ himself, Damien Thorn, in Omen III: The Final Conflict. While Sam Neill played many heroic and villainous roles over the years, many of his roles fell somewhere in between. He gave a bravura performance as John Trent in In the Mouth of Madness, who finds himself at the mercy of forces beyond his control. 

Sam Neill had considerable range as an actor and, if he ever gave a bad performance, I don't remember it. He was well-respected by his cast mates not just for his talent, but also because he was one of the nicest, most charming people around. In the end, Sam Neill  was not only a rare talent, but an exceptional human being as well.