Clarence Williams III, the actor best known for playing Prince’s father in Purple Rain and as an undercover cop in “The Mod Squad,” has died from colon cancer, his manager confirmed. He was 81.
Williams passed away on Friday, June 3, 2021, the New York Daily News reports.
The New York City-born actor, who was raised in Harlem by his jazz-playing grandfather Clarence Williams, first attained national fame playing Linc Hayes, a Black undercover cop in the popular 1960s prime-time series “The Mod Squad.” However, Williams is better known to some urbanites for his performances in the hilarious classic comedies Half Baked and I’m Gonna Git You Sucka as well as Spike Lee’s horror-comedy Tales from the Hood.
Williams began acting as a teen when he scored a few lines in the stage play Dark of the Moon starring Cicely Tyson in 1958. But he shelved his career aspirations to serve as an Army paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division before ultimately returning to acting in New York.
His formidable skills and range as an actor were underappreciated by Hollywood, which is why he was relegated to a number of small supporting roles after “The Mod Squad” was canceled after five years in 1973, including in Sugar Hill, Deep Cover, Hoodlum, The General’s Daughter and The Legend of 1900.
However, playing the abusive father of the late, legendary Prince in the blockbuster film Purple Rain in 1984 showed his depth and introduced him to a new generation of moviegoers.
Williams is survived by his daughter Jamey Phillips.
