Samm-Art Williams is a Tony Award-nominated playwright, actor, director, and executive producer for NBC. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, died. He was 78 years old.
Williams passed away peacefully in Burgo, North Carolina, on Monday, his cousin, Carol Brown, confirmed. The Hollywood Reporter.
“Mr. Williams’ contributions to American theater and television will continue, but he will be greatly missed,” Brown said in a statement.
In the theater world, Williams is perhaps best known as a Tony Award-nominated playwright. housewas first directed by Douglas Turner Ward and produced on Broadway by the Negro Ensemble Company in 1980. The show is directed by Kenny Leon and is scheduled to return to Broadway on June 5.
Williams also wrote stage works including: Welcome to Black River, friends., and other plays produced in New York, Los Angeles, and elsewhere. In addition to winning the Tony Award for Best Broadway Play, house It received an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Drama Desk nomination, an NAACP Image Award, and a North Carolina Governor's Award.
During his career, Williams received a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Playwriting, and other writing awards.
On screen, Williams wrote the following episodes: Cagney and Lacey, new mike hammer, miami vice and Debbie Allen Special. He has been nominated for two Emmy Awards as a producer. Frank's Place (1988) and Motown returns to the Apollo (1985).
From 1990 to 1993, he served as executive producer of films led by Will Smith. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Airremains one of the most influential sitcoms of all time.
Williams was born in Philadelphia on January 20, 1946. He studied at Morgan State University in Baltimore. He had no spouse or children.