A Conversation with a Legend in The Entertainment Industry Hal Williams

Many actors dream of having a long successful acting career but only a few have achieved that. Hal Williams is one who has accomplished that dream. He has been in the entertainment arena for decades. You may recognize him from the sitcom “227” when he played Lester Jenkins, or from “Sanford and Son” when he played Smitty the Police Officer. His other notable television credits include “Kung Fu,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” and “Magnum P.I,” they are just a few of his accomplishments.

Hal Williams, who is originally from Ohio, moved to California in the year of 1968 a single father with three children to pursue his acting career. Hal has a love for the theater and has been attending the “National Black Theater Festival” in Winston Salem, North Carolina since 1991 and encouraged me to do so as well. I was a little embarrassed being a native of North Carolina and never heard of the event but, I assured him I would attend the event when it comes again.  

I asked Hal what it was like being on set with the cast of “Sanford and Son.” “I had a blast myself and Howard Platt who played the other Police Officer takes the original red truck from the show to auto shows to make speeches and sign autographs.” Hal is very outspoken with a great sense of humor that kept me laughing. The interview was like talking to a family member. Hal is very busy working on other projects. He loves to cook so he’s writing a bio-cookbook, and he also hosts a podcast called “Hal’s Hitlist.” Hal is very interested in the political scene as well.

Outside of acting Hal loves horseback riding, swimming, painting, and drawing. He is a man of many talents and still has a lot to contribute to society. Hal has no plans of retiring. He says when he leaves this world this is how he wants to go, “I want to take a bow on stage and when the curtains come down that will be the end of it.”  What a grand exit.