Offscreen Notes
Clarence Williams III, Dies at age 81
Saddened to hear of the passing of Clarence Williams III on June 4, 2021 at age 81. My lasting memory of him was in the popular TV cop show The Mod Squad, where he formed one-third of the super cool cop trio, Linc, Pete (Michael Cole) and Julie (Peggy Lipton). I always thought he was the coolest of the cool and likened his striking good looks to Jimi Hendrix, another cat that was on another level when it came to oozing cool. Williams remained in my consciousness thanks to his choice but impressive roles in a series of horror films, including Maniac Cop 2, Sugar Hill, Tales From the Hood, American Nightmares. One of my most pleasurable recent surprises was seeing him appear in a small role in Sean Baker’s short film, Snowbird (2016).
