Clarence Williams III, 'The Mod Squad' Actor, Dead at 81

Mar. 16, 2025

Clarence Williams III, best known for his role onThe Mod Squad, has died after a battle with colon cancer. He was 81.

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Clarence Williams III

On Twitter, fans and stars alike paid tribute to Williams, includingLeslie Jones, whotweetedabout the time she got to meet him.

“When I heard Clarence Williams III had passed, I rem [sic] the night I met him at Dan Tanas in the summer of 1997,” wrote theComing 2 Americaactress, 53. “I ask [sic] for a pic with my disposal camera. He took the camera and directed every one of these pics! He was one of the nicest people I ever met. And very funny! RIP & TY #ICON.”

In actor Reggie Watkins’tweet, he raved about how Williams was “AMAZING IN EVERYTHING” he appeared in, urging his followers to “watch [Clarence] inSugar Hill,Half Baked, andPurple Rain!”

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Mod Squad Michael Cole as Pete Cochran, Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes, Clarence Williams III as Linc Hayes

Williams' final on-screen role was in the 2018 movieAmerican Nightmares, starring Danny Trejo.

Williams was previously married to Gloria Foster from 1967 to 1984. The actress, best known for playing Oracle inThe Matrixfranchise, died in 2001.

source: people.com