Treat Williams obit

Treat Williams, Star of 'Everwood' and 'Hair,' Dead at 71 Following Motorcycle Accident

"He was the nicest guy. He was so talented," Treat Williams' agent, Barry McPherson, tells PEOPLE 

He was not on the list.

Treat Williams, the star of Everwood and Hair, has died after being involved in a motorcycle accident. He was 71.

The actor's death was confirmed to PEOPLE on Monday evening by his agent of 15 years, Barry McPherson.

"He was killed this afternoon. He was making a left or a right [and] a car cut him off," McPherson says. "I'm just devastated. He was the nicest guy. He was so talented."

"He was an actor's actor. Filmmakers loved him. He's been the heart of the Hollywood since the late 1970s," McPherson continues. "He was really proud of his performance this year. He's been so happy with the work that I got him. He's had a balanced career."

Jacob Gribble, the fire chief for Dorset, Vermont, tells PEOPLE the crash happened on Monday around 5 p.m. on Route 30 by Long Trail Auto near Dorset, Vermont.

Per Gribble, the incident involved a single car and Williams' motorcycle. Investigators believe the driver of the car was turning and didn’t see the motorcycle. Gribble says the motorcyclist was the only person hurt and a LifeNet helicopter was summoned to airlift him to a hospital in New York.

The Manchester Fire Department responded and set up the landing zone for the helicopter. Other emergency services that responded included East Dorset Fire and Rupert Fire.

The Vermont State Police also put out a press release later on Monday, confirming Williams' identity and the details surrounding the crash. Police confirmed the investigation is in its early stages and team members will return to the location of the collision on Tuesday, June 13, to continue processing the scene.

The actor's longstanding career dates back to 1975, when he made his film debut in the thriller Deadly Hero. From there, he began to take on more film roles, including 1976's The Ritz and The Eagle Has Landed.

In 1979, Williams' career reached a high point when he starred as George Berger in the film Hair, which was based on the Broadway musical. The role ultimately earned him his first Golden Globe nomination for new star of the year - actor. He later earned another Golden Globe nom for best actor in a motion picture drama for his role in 1981's Prince of the City.

In 2002, he began portraying the leading role of Dr. Andrew "Andy" Brown on The WB's Everwood. He starred on the series for all four seasons, and even earned himself a SAG Award nomination for outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series in 2003-04.

With more than 120 credits to his name, Williams' career extended over four decades with appearances in films like Steven Spielberg's 1941 and Heart of Dixie, and television shows like Blue Bloods, The Late Shift, Chicago Fire and Chesapeake Shores.

Williams also appeared in several Hallmark projects like The Christmas House, Beyond the Blackboard, Safe Harbor and Chasing a Dream, as well as Netflix's Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square and The Noel Diary.

The actor is survived by his wife, actress Pam Van Sant, and their two children, Gill and Ellie.

 

Select theater credits

 

Theater work by Treat Williams

Year     Title            Role            Venue            Notes

1972–1980            Grease            Danny Zuko               

1974–1975            Over Here!   Utah                

1978    Once in a Lifetime            Jerry Hyland            

1981–1982            The Pirates of Penzance            The Pirate King                  

1982    Some Men Need Help     Hudley T. Singleton III            47th Street Theatre  

1989–1990            Love Letters            Andrew Makepiece Ladd III                      

1989    Bobby Gould in Hell            Bobby Gould   Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater

1992–1994            Oleanna          John            Orpheum Theatre        

1999            Captains Courageous, the Musical            Manuel            Manhattan Theatre Club    

2001    Follies            Buddy Plummer            Belasco Theatre

 

Filmography

 

Theatrical releases

Film work by Treat Williams

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1975    Deadly Hero    Billings 

1976    The Ritz      Michael Brick   

Marathon Man            Central Park Jogger            Uncredited

The Eagle Has Landed Captain Harry Clark     

1979    Hair            George Berger            Nominated: Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor

1941            Corporal Chuck 'Stretch' Sitarski

1980    The Empire Strikes Back    Echo Base Trooper            Uncredited[12]

Why Would I Lie?      Cletus  

1981    Prince of the City            Daniel Ciello            Nominated: Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama

The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper            D.B. Cooper           

1983            Neapolitan Sting            Ferdinando     

1984    Once Upon a Time in America            James Conway O'Donnell        

Flashpoint            Ernie Wyatt  

1985    Smooth Talk     Arnold Friend            Nominated: Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead

Grand Jury Prize 1986 Sundance Film Festival

 

1986    The Men's Club            Terry   

1988    Sweet Lies      Peter   

Night of the Sharks  David Ziegler 

The Third Solution            Mark Hendrix           

Dead Heat            Detective Roger Mortis 

1989    Heart of Dixie            Hoyt Cunningham     

1990    Beyond the Ocean            Christopher    

1993    Where the Rivers Flow North            Champ's Manager       

1994    Hand Gun      George McCallister      

Texan   Man In Chinos  Short film; also director

Chicago International Film Festival Award for Best Short

1995    Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead            Bill 'Critical Bill'     

1996            Mulholland Falls            Colonel Nathan Fitzgerald        

The Phantom            Xander Drax    

1997    The Devil's Own            Billy Burke  

1998    Deep Rising   John Finnegan          

The Substitute 2: School's Out            Karl Thomasson      

1999    The Deep End of the Ocean            Pat Cappadora      

The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All            Karl Thomasson      

2000    Critical Mass    Mike Jeffers 

2001    Crash Point Zero            Jason Ross    

Skeletons in the Closet  Will     

The Substitute: Failure Is Not an Option            Karl Thomasson      

Venomous            Dr. David Henning 

2002    Gale Force   Sam Garrett

Hollywood Ending  Hal      

The Circle            Spencer Runcie           

2005    Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous            FBI Assistant Director Walter Collins 

2007    Moola            Luis Gordon           

The Hideout            Father Amy    

2008    What Happens in Vegas   Jack Fuller Sr.         

2010            Maskerade       Mr. Tucker

Howl    Mark Schorer           

127 Hours            Larry Ralston

Martino's Summer            Captain Jeff Clark        

2011    A Little Bit of Heaven            Jack Corbett           

Oba: The Last Samurai            Colonel Wessinger       

2012    Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader            Dr. Grey    

Deadfall            Sheriff Marshall T. Becker

2013    In the Blood   Robert Grant   

Reaching for the Moon            Robert Lowell 

2014            Barefoot         Mr. Wheeler          

Operation Rogue  General Hank Wallace  

2016    The Congressman            Charlie Winship           

2017    The Etruscan Smile            Frank  

2018    Second Act            Anderson Clarke        

2019    The Great Alaskan Race    Dr. Welch 

Drunk Parents            Dan Henderson       

2020    Run Hide Fight            Sheriff Tarsy   

Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square            Carl     

2021    12 Mighty Orphans            Amon Carter  final role film

 

Television series

Television series work by Treat Williams

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1985            American Playhouse            Hudley T. Singleton III            Episode: "Some Men Need Help"

1987    Faerie Tale Theatre            Prince Andrew            Episode: "The Little Mermaid"

Echoes in the Darkness            Rick Guida   2 episodes

1990    Drug Wars: The Camarena Story    Ray Carson 3 episodes

1991    Eddie Dodd   Eddie Dodd   Main cast; Season 1

1992    Tales from the Crypt            Howard Prince            Episode: "None But the Lonely Heart"

Batman: The Animated Series   Dr. Achilles Milo            Voice, 2 episodes

1993    Road to Avonlea            Zak Morgan            Episode: "Moving On"

1993–1994            Good Advice Jack Harold  Main cast; Season 1 & 2

1999    Journey to the Center of the Earth            Theodore Lytton            2 episodes

2002    UC: Undercover            Teddy Collins            Episode: "Teddy C"

Going to California            Officer Terrence 'Terry' Miller            Episode: "The West Texas Round-up and Other Assorted Misdemeanors"

2002–2006            Everwood        Dr. Andrew 'Andy' Brown  Main cast; Seasons 1–4

Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama

Nominated—SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series (2003–04)

Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Parental Unit

2006            Brothers & Sisters            David Morton 3 episodes

2007            Heartland        Dr. Nathaniel "Nate" Grant            Main cast; Season 1

2009    The Storm   Robert Terrell  2 episodes

2011    Against the Wall            Don Kowalski            Main cast; Season 1

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit      Jake Stanton            Episode: "Spiraling Down"

2012            Leverage         Pete Rising            Episode: "The Blue Line Job"

The Simpsons            Himself/William Sullivan Voice, episode: "A Totally Fun Thing That Bart Will Never Do Again"

2012–2013            White Collar   Samuel Phelps/James Bennett            Recurring role; Season 4

2013–2018            Chicago Fire   Benny Severide            Recurring role; 16 episodes (seasons 1–7)

2013    Eve of Destruction            Max Salinger            2 episodes

Hawaii Five-0            Mick Logan   2 episodes

2014    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation            Sam            Episode: "Dead in His Tracks"

2015            American Odyssey            Col. Stephen Glen            Main cast; Season 1

2016–2022            Chesapeake Shores            Mick O'Brien            Main cast

2016–2023            Blue Bloods Lenny Ross            Recurring role

2022    We Own This City            Brian Grabler 2 episodes

 

Television films

Television film work by Treat Williams

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1983            Dempsey         Jack Dempsey         

1984    A Streetcar Named Desire            Stanley Kowalski            Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film

1987    J. Edgar Hoover            J. Edgar Hoover  

1989    Third Degree Burn            Scott Weston           

1990    Max and Helen            Max Rosenberg       

1991    Final Verdict Earl Rogers

1992    Till Death Us Do Part      Alan Palliko 

The Water Engine  Dave Murray

Deadly Matrimony            Alan Masters           

1993    Bonds of Love            Robby Smith   

1994    Parallel Lives    Peter Barnum           

1995    In the Shadow of Evil            Jack Brenner           

Johnny's Girl            Johnny 

1996    The Late Shift            Michael Ovitz            Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie

Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film

1998    Escape: Human Cargo            John McDonald       

Every Mother's Worst Fear            Mitch Carson

1999    36 Hours to Die            Noah Stone  

2000            Hopewell         David Jonas   

2002    Guilty Hearts            Stephen Carrow         

2007    The Staircase Murders            Michael Peterson          

2008    Good Behavior            Burt Valencia          

Front of the Class            Norman Cohen          

2009    Safe Harbor Doug   

Chasing a Dream  Gary Stiles   

2010            Boston's Finest Jack Holt     

2011    Beyond the Blackboard            Dr. Warren

2013    Age of Dinosaurs            Gabe   

2016            Confirmation  Ted Kennedy         

2020    The Christmas House  Bill      

2021    The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls