'Sanford and Son' star Hal Williams takes his last breath at 91

Hal Williams, best known for his roles in hit sitcoms like 227 and Sanford and Son, has passed away. He was 91.

The veteran actor breathed his last on Wednesday, July 15, at his home in Rancho Mirage, as per his representative.

Throughout his decades-long career, Hal appeared in several TV shows, including That Girl, Police Woman, Gunsmoke, The Waltons, The Dukes of Hazzard, Webster, Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Moesha, and Suddenly Susan.

However, the star rose to fame after starring as Officer "Smitty" Smith in Sanford and Son.

As the sad news of Hal's death broke, actor Ernest Harden Jr. took to his Instagram to pay a touching tribute to his TV dad.

"My TV Dad Hal Williams died at 91 today. I’d just spoken to him for an hour on FaceTime yesterday," he shared.

"He binge watched The Pitt on the plane back from Ohio and congratulated me on my nomination. We ended our conversation when he felt a little jet lag and needed to rest. My heart is heavy today. He always called me son," Ernest added.

For those unversed, Hal played the role of Ernest's father in the popular sitcom, J.J. Teacher.