Crown Media Clarence Williams III on Mystery Woman.
Clarence Williams III, star of “The Mod Squad” and known among Hallmark fans as a lead character in the “Mystery Woman” series, has died at the age of 81. The prolific actor was also known for his roles on “Purple Rain,” “Twin Peaks,” and numerous other productions. He starred in 11 Hallmark movies.
He Died of Colon Cancer
Williams’ management shared that the star died of colon cancer at the age of 81, NBC News reported.
He was born in 1939 and began his career on stage in 1957, earning a Tony nomination in 1965 before adding acclaimed appearances in TV and movies to his repertoire. Williams rose to fame in 1968 with his role on the cop show “The Mod Squad,” where he starred with Peggy Lipton and Michael Cole until the early 1970s. He played the iconic role of Linc Hayes, a troubled teen who became an undercover cop. His career in TV, theater, and film lasted for four decades, NBC News shared.
In 2006, Williams told The Buffalo News about how much he loved playing Linc Hayes.
“I’m proud of what I did. I love that character,” he said. “We stopped in 1972 and people still bring it up to me when I’m walking in airports or down the boulevard. I take it as an absolute compliment that they liked the show and liked my character and liked what I did with it.”
He also portrayed Prince’s father in “Purple Rain” in 1984, played FBI agent Robert Hardy on “Twin Peaks,” and starred in “Reindeer Games” in the 2000s. He was a prolific actor with numerous credits to his name.
Williams is survived by his daughter Jamey Phillips, his sister Sondra Pugh, his niece Suyin Shaw, and his grandnephews and grandniece, NBC News reported.
He Starred in the Hallmark Mystery Series ‘Mystery Woman’
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Hallmark fans know Williams best for his leading role in the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries series, “Mystery Woman.” He played the role of Philby in 10 movies from 2003 to 2007, including:
- Mystery Woman
- Mystery Weekend
- Snapshot
- Sing Me a Murder
- Vision of a Murder
- Game Time
- At First Sight
- Wild West Mystery
- Oh Baby
- Redemption
- In the Shadows
“Mystery Woman” starred Kellie Martin as Samantha, a mystery bookstore owner who found herself thrust into a world of real-life murders. Martin starred opposite Williams. Also in the cast were Nina Siemaszko as Cassie and Casey Sander as Chief Connors.
The final movie in the series premiered on January 13, 2007.
In the series, Williams played the role of Philby, a man with a mysterious past who helps Samantha solve mysteries. His character was asked by Samantha’s late uncle, who originally owned her bookstore, to look out for her, The Buffalo News reported.
In a 2006 interview, Williams told The Buffalo News that Philby’s mysterious past with the government appealed to him and was part of the reason he wanted the role.
“I like what they were sketching to me about Philby being an ex-international operative: CIA, MI5, MI6 — and that it revolved around a book store,” he said in the interview.”Philby was a very good friend of Samantha’s uncle. Before he passed away, he said to look out for her. So I kept an eye on her because she has a tendency to run out and do things.”
He said he really enjoyed how each movie revealed a little more about Philby, keeping aspects of the character mysterious. He also said that he enjoyed the way the movies are presented in general: allowing viewers to slowly learn more clues and solve each mystery themselves, too.
He told Buffalo News: “We worked very, very hard in order to let the audience be aware of what the clues are so that they can solve the mystery as we are solving it on screen. I think that’s one of the wonderful things about our show: the audience is not shut out of a clue. We let them in on it and they have to work to see where it’s leading.”
Williams added that he loved acting and wasn’t interested in switching to directing the movies.
He said he enjoyed the “challenge of trying to breathe life into something on paper. Whoever writes has a character in their head. Then you [the actor] put it on stage or on film and add a little something they didn’t have and make it more enriching…”
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Clarence Williams III Dies: Hallmark ‘Mystery Woman’ Star’s Cause of Death