Clarence Williams III: wife, net worth, children, cause of death He was formerly a York city councillor and Metro Toronto councillor, where he . My heart is with you Rashida (@iamrashidajones) and Kidada ( @kiddejones ) pic.twitter.com/KfEtUZBaFZ, And actress Rosanna Arquette also called out Lipton's daughters while shemourned the loss of her friend: "We had known each Other for many years and her beautiful girls were the loves of her life. Actress Kellie Martin was among others to remember him fondly, saying it had been "an honour" to work with him on the 2000s TV series Mystery Woman. It started with a sip, and soon, Cole discovered that he preferred it to the juice box boys his age loved. Clarence Williams III, best known for portraying Linc on TV's The Mod Squad, has died at the age of 81, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 81. He did a great deal of stage work after The Mod Squad went off the air, including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Clarence Williams III, who played the cool undercover cop Linc Hayes on the counterculture series "The Mod Squad" and Prince's father in "Purple Rain," died June 4 at his home in Los Angeles.. He also worked on shows such as The Eddie Capra Mysteries; Murder, She Wrote; Fantasy Island, and Diagnosis: Murder. Showmanship was in Williams' blood as he was born into a musical family. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Writing on Twitter, the director said he was an "extraordinary" actor who had been "ahead of his time". The three starred in The Mod Squad, which ran on ABC from 1968 to 1973. Clarence Williams III, who played the cool undercover cop Linc Hayes on the counterculture series The Mod Squad and Prince's father in Purple Rain, has died. Later, Cole appeared as adult Henry Bowers in Stephen King's 1990 two-part TV miniseries It. Addiction is a terrible thing, and no one knows it better than "The Mod Squad" star, Michael Cole, whose relationship with the bottle stopped him from becoming all that he could be. His big break came in 1968 when he was cast in The Mod Squad as Lincoln "Linc" Hayes, one of three former juvenile delinquents recruited as an undercover cop. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Clarence Williams III starred as Linc on the pioneering TV detective series "The Mod Squad" and played Prince's (1958-2016) father in the movie "Purple Rain." Mod Squad intro Watch on Died:. Faced with the possibility of ending up alone and drunk for the rest of his life, Cole chose to go to rehab at the Betty Ford Center. Linc was a very different role for an African-American and a wonderful lead character that a lot of youngsters, Black and white, and principally African-American youngsters could identify with, he told the Los Angeles Times in 1995. Then you [the actor] put it on stage or on film and add a little something they didnt have and make it more enriching, READ NEXT: Hallmarks Schedule of New Movies for June 2021, Clarence Williams III Dies: Hallmark Mystery Woman Stars Cause of Death, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Read about our approach to external linking. By the end of the evening he had been cast in the production. Peggy Lipton, the actress who rose to fame in TV's groundbreaking 1960s series "The Mod Squad" and starred in the 1990s series "Twin Peaks," has died at age 72 of cancer. 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He has a deep appreciation for the life he has, and do not take it for granted. Clarence Williams III, who is remembered as Lincoln "Linc" Hayes on ABC's then trendy The Mod Squad from 1968 to 1973, lost his battle with colon cancer on Friday, June 4. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. He is survived by his daughter, Jamey Phillips, and his sister, Sondra Pugh. KIDADA and Rashida shes your angel.". pic.twitter.com/EtgVuvJGNb, 'Twin Peaks' Actress Peggy Lipton dies at 72. Michael Cole, from left, Clarence Williams III and Peggy Lipton from the television series "The Mod Squad," circa 1968. Prince's estate paid tribute to him for his "gripping performance" as Prince's abusive dad in the singer's 1984 film. Inside 'The Mod Squad' Alum Michael Cole's Harsh Battle - AmoMama In 2006, Williams told The Buffalo News about how much he loved playing Linc Hayes. On the big screen, the Harlem native portrayed Princes troubled father in Purple Rain (1984) and was Wesley Snipes and Michael Wrights drug-addled dad in Sugar Hill (1993).