Personal info
Known for
Actor
Gender
Male
Birthday
21 August
Location
New York, United States
Edit pageClarence Williams III
Biography
Clarence Williams III was an American actor whose career spanned more than five decades across stage, television, and film. He was born on August 21, 1939, in New York City.
He began his professional acting career on Broadway in the early 1960s and received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in Slow Dance on the Killing Ground (1964). His breakthrough came with the television series The Mod Squad (1968–1973), in which he played undercover police officer Linc Hayes.
Williams later became a respected character actor, appearing in films such as Purple Rain (1984), I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988), Deep Cover (1992), Sugar Hill (1994), Hoodlum (1997), The Brave (1997), Half Baked (1998), Reindeer Games (2000), and The Butler (2013). He also had a recurring role as Roger Hardy in Twin Peaks.
He came from a distinguished musical family and was the grandson of jazz composer and pianist Clarence Williams and blues singer Eva Taylor. Before becoming an actor, he served in the U.S. military as a paratrooper.
Clarence Williams III died on June 4, 2021, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 81. He is particularly remembered for his groundbreaking role in The Mod Squad and his distinctive performances as a character actor.
