Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Veteran Actor Hal Williams Dies at 91, Leaves Scholarship Legacy

7/18/2026

28 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Hal Williams died on July 15, 2026, at his Rancho Mirage home, aged 91, from natural causes.
Days before his death, Williams told WKYC the “Smitty”-Hoppy routine on Sanford and Son began as a rehearsal sketch.
Williams was known for Officer “Smitty” Smith on Sanford and Son and Lester Jenkins on 227.
He created the K.A. Williams Scholarship Foundation to aid students of color studying television and communications.

History

Historical Context

Norman Lear adapted the British series Steptoe and Son into NBC’s *Sanford and Son*, which premiered on January 14 1972 starring Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson. The sitcom quickly rose to the Nielsen top ten, reaching about 20 million weekly viewers in the 1974-75 season and becoming a model for later Black-lead series. Its success helped NBC dominate Friday night ratings and set a precedent for diversifying prime-time casts.

1 of 2

Story summary

Hal Williams died on July 15, 2026, at his Rancho Mirage home, aged 91, from natural causes.
Days before his death, Williams told WKYC the “Smitty”-Hoppy routine on Sanford and Son began as a rehearsal sketch.
Williams was known for Officer “Smitty” Smith on Sanford and Son and Lester Jenkins on 227.
He created the K.A. Williams Scholarship Foundation to aid students of color studying television and communications.

1 / 2