Clarence Williams III, who played the role of undercover cop Linc Hayes on “The Mod Squad” and Prince’s father in “Purple Rain,” has died at the age of 81, according to The Intelligencer.
On Sunday, Williams’ manager Allan Mindel said the actor died Friday at his home in Los Angeles after a battle with colon cancer.
Tributes came quickly on social media from Williams’ co-workers and those who admired him for impactful roles and performances.
Rusty Cundieff, director of “Tales from the Hood,” tweeted that his sadness 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 tweeted, “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.”
Director Peyton Reed tweeted, “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.”
Born on August 21, 1939, in New York City, Williams was the son of a professional musician, Clarence “Clay” Williams Jr., and grandson of jazz and blues composer/pianist Clarence Williams and his singer-actress wife, Eva Taylor.
His paternal grandmother raised him. He became interested in acting after accidentally walking onto a stage at a theater below a Harlem YMCA.
Williams began pursuing an acting career after spending two years as a paratrooper in C Company, 506th Infantry, of the 101st Airborne Division, first appearing on Broadway in “The Long Dream.”
He also appeared in “Walk in Darkness,” “Sarah and the Sax,” “Doubletalk,” and “King John.”
His breakout theatrical role was in William Hanley’s “Slow Dance on the Killing Ground,” for which he received a Tony Award nomination. He also appeared in Frankenheimer’s “Against the Wall,” “Reindeer Games” and some episodes of “Tales from the Crypt,” according to The Intelligencer. Williams married the actress Gloria Foster in 1967. Foster made two guest appearances on The Mod Squad. They were also in “The Cool World.” In 1984, they filed for divorce but remained friends. Foster died in 2001. The couple had no children.
