Actor Treat Williams, whose nearly 50-year career included starring roles in the TV series “Everwood” and the movie “Hair”, died Monday after a motorcycle crash in Vermont, state police said. He was 71.
Shortly before 5 p.m., a Honda SUV was turning left into a parking lot when it collided with Williams’ motorcycle in the town of Dorset, according to a statement from Vermont State Police.
According to the statement, Williams was unable to avoid a collision and was thrown from his motorcycle. He suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York, where he was pronounced dead.
The police said that Williams was wearing a helmet.
Also, the police said that the SUV’s driver received minor injuries and wasn’t hospitalized. He had signaled the turn and wasn’t immediately detained although the crash investigation continues.
Williams, whose full name was Richard Treat Williams, lived in Manchester Center in southern Vermont.
His agent, Barry McPherson, also confirmed the actor’s death.
McPherson told People magazine:
“I’m just devastated. He was the nicest guy. He was so talented”.
Barry McPherson
He added:
“He was an actor’s actor. Filmmakers loved him. He’s been the heart of Hollywood since the late 1970s”.
Barry McPherson
Treat Williams praised by his colleagues and friends
The Connecticut-born Williams made his movie debut in 1975 as a police officer in the movie “Deadly Hero” and went on to appear in more than 120 TV and film roles, including the movies “The Eagle Has Landed”, “Prince of the City” and “Once Upon a Time in America”.
He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role as hippie leader George Berger in the 1979 movie version of the hit musical “Hair”.
Williams appeared in the CBS television pilot “Peachtree Lines” as Mayor Lincoln Rylan. The serial is an examination of political, social, and cultural issues in Atlanta.
The actor also worked as a director, winning two festival awards for directing Texan in Showtime’s Chanticleer Films series.
He appeared in dozens of television shows but was perhaps best known for his starring role from 2002 to 2006 in “Everwood” as Dr. Andrew Brown, a widowed brain surgeon from Manhattan who moves with his two children to the Colorado mountain town of that name.
Treat Williams played the role of Mick O’Brien in a Hallmark Channel television series called “Chesapeake Shores” which aired from 2016 to 2022.
Williams also had a recurring role as Lenny Ross on the TV show “Blue Bloods”.
Williams’ stage appearances included Broadway shows, including “Grease” and “Pirates of Penzance”.
Colleagues and friends praised Williams as kind, generous, and creative.
Actor James Woods tweeted:
“Treat and I spent months in Rome filming ‘Once Upon a Time in America’. It can be pretty lonely on the road during a long shoot, but his resilient good cheer and sense of humor were a Godsend. I really loved him and am devastated that he’s gone”.
Actor James Woods
Director and producer Justine Williams also tweeted:
“Working with Treat Williams in Mamet’s “Speed the Plow” at Williamstown in ’91 was the start of a great friendship. Damn it, damn it. Treat, you were the best. Love you”.
Justine Williams
Actor Wendell Pierce tweeted:
“Treat Williams was a passionate, adventurous, creative man. In a short period of time, he quickly befriended me and his adventurous spirit was infectious. We worked on just 1 film together but occasionally connected over the years. Kind and generous with advice and support. RIP”.
Wendell Pierce
READ ALSO: Tony Awards Telecast Makes Inclusive History And Puts On Quite A Show Despite Hollywood Strike
