Clarence Williams III, The Mod Squad’s Linc, dies at 81

Clarence Williams III, who carried out the cool undercover cop Linc Hayes on the counterculture assortment The Mod Squad and Prince’s father in Purple Rain, has died. He was 81.

Williams died Friday at his home in Los Angeles after a battle with colon most cancers, his supervisor Allan Mindel talked about Sunday. Tributes acquired right here quickly on social media from every people who labored with Williams and individuals who admired him for his trailblazing roles and impactful performances.

Tales from the Hood director Rusty Cundieff tweeted that his disappointment over Williams’ passing, “cannot be overstated. His artistry and sheer coolness was extraordinary. I will forever be in his debt for his brilliant performance in Tales From the Hood. Loved working with him! Blessed travels good sir!”

Lenny Kravitz wrote on Twitter, “When I was a kid growing up in NYC Clarence Williams III was a face on TV that I identified with and that inspired me. From the Mod Squad, to Purple Rain and Sugar Hill, he always performed with dynamic energy. Rest in power, king.”

When I was a baby rising up in NYC Clarence Williams III was a face on TV that I acknowledged with and that impressed me. From the Mod Squad, to Purple Rain and Sugar Hill, he at all instances carried out with dynamic vitality. Rest in vitality, king ✊???? pic.twitter.com/GIZLSjp4uV

— Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) June 6, 2021

Director Peyton Reed tweeted that he labored with Williams on the TV movie The Love Bug in 1995.

“I had grown up watching him as Linc in The Mod Squad and thought he was the epitome of cool. Turns out he was. Rest In Peace, Clarence,” Reed wrote.

I set to work with Clarence Williams III on my second TV movie, THE LOVE BUG, once more in 1995. I had grown up watching him as Linc in THE MOD SQUAD and thought he was the epitome of cool. Turns out he was. Rest In Peace, Clarence. pic.twitter.com/PadZZlTzKJ

— Peyton Reed (@MrPeytonReed) June 6, 2021

A neighborhood of New York, Williams career spanned over 5 a few years in theater, television and film. He was born proper right into a creative family in 1939 and raised by his musical grandparents. His grandfather was a jazz composer and pianist, his father a musician and his mother, Eva Taylor, a singer and actress. He acquired his showing start on Broadway after a stint as a paratrooper and obtained a Tony nomination for his operate in William Hanley’s “Slow Dance on the Killing Ground” in 1964.

His breakout operate would come with The Mod Squad, which he led with Peggy (*81*) and Michael Cole. Bill Cosby had seen Williams perform and suggested Aaron Spelling he should have in mind him for the operate of Linc. The current ran from on ABC from 1968 by the use of 1973. A trailblazing current for attempting to portray the hippie period of the time, The Mod Squad was a star-maker for all three. But roles weren't quick to watch for Williams.

He appeared on Broadway reverse Maggie Smith in Tom Stoppard’s “Night and Day” in 1979 sooner than getting stable as a result of the troubled father in Purple Rain, which acquired right here out in 1984.

Director John Frankenheimer would develop to be a frequent collaborator. They first teamed up for his adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s “52 Pick-Up” at a time when Williams was not having so much luck in Hollywood and crashing on Cosby’s couch to keep up a roof over his head.

“He asked me to read for the part of one of the blackmailers, but after only four lines, he told me to stop,” Williams recalled in a 1999 interview. “I thought it was all over, but he said, ‘Have your agent call me. It will be a 10-week shoot. Thank you for coming in.’ That was it.”

Williams moreover appeared in Frankenheimer’s Against the Wall, Reindeer Games and some episodes of Tales from the Crypt.

Williams may command various genres, along with comedy. He carried out a drug lord reverse Dave Chappelle in Half Baked and stole scenes in Keenen Ivory Wayans’ blaxploitation parody film I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. He moreover had a recurring operate as a result of the FBI agent in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks who tells Agent Cooper he’s been suspended.

Other film roles included Tales from the Hood, Deep Cover, Sugar Hill, The General’s Daughter, Lee Daniels’ The Butler and an uncredited operate in American Gangster. And he had many, many television appearances on each half from Miami Vice and Hill Street Blues to Everybody Hates Chris and Justified.

He was married to the actress Gloria Foster from 1967 to 1984.

Williams not at all fretted over his longtime affiliation with The Mod Squad, though.

“All most people know about me is the two hours they’ve invested in a movie theater or the time spent in front of their TV,” he talked about in an interview in 1999. “There’s so much entertainment out there right now, it’s difficult to break through and become part of the national consciousness. It’s nice to be recognized, and I have no problem with it at all.”