Hal Williams, the actor best known for TV roles in Sanford & Son and 227, has died at the age of 91.

His representative confirmed that Williams died on 15 July at his home in California.

Williams didn’t start acting until he was in his 30s, after working as a postal worker and a corrections officer before moving to Los Angeles in 1968.

The actor was most widely recognised for playing Officer “Smitty” Smith in 22 episodes of Sanford and Son, a sitcom based on British TV series Steptoe and Son. It was adapted by Norman Lear and aired from 1962 to 1974.

During production of the show, Williams also continued working an overnight shift at the post office as he didn’t feel “financially able” to give up the job.

“I used to go around to the high schools and theater groups and young people,” he said in an interview. “I used to tell them that if your aspirations include mansions and limousines and things like that, be prepared for a lot of rejection because you need to get a degree in something. Overnight sensations usually take 25 years.”

Williams also played Lester Jenkins in 227, a sitcom that aired between 1985 and 1990. He starred alongside Regina King and Jackée Harry.

“What a gentleman,” Harry wrote on Instagram after his death. “Hal always carried himself with grace, and he always had me laughing … He was also a stand-up guy who believed Black fathers on TV should be loving, present, and compassionate. He helped show America what that looked like.”

Williams’ film roles also included Hardcore, Herbie Rides Again, Private Benjamin, The Rookie and Guess Who. He reprised his role in Private Benjamin in a TV series based on the hit film.

His small-screen roles also included The Waltons, The Sinbad Show, The Dukes of Hazzard, Knots Landing, Moesha, Hill Street Blues and, most recently, the Kathy Bates-led remake of Matlock.

“There’s a lot more Black companies now,” he said in 2022. “There are a lot more Black producers, writers and directors than they ever were before. They’re all young. But we opened the doors.”