Samm-Art Williams obit

Samm-Art Williams Dies: Tony-Nominated ‘Home’ Playwright, Actor & ‘Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air’ Producer Was 78

 

He was not on the list.

Samm-Art Williams, whose Tony-nominated 1979 play Home is being revived on Broadway this year and whose TV producing credits include Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin and Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, died peacefully today in Burgaw, North Carolina. He was 78.

His death was announced by family.

Born Samuel Arthur Williams on January 20, 1946, in Philadelphia, Williams was a prolific playwright, screenwriter, actor, and producer.

Performing as Samm Williams, he got his start on the New York stage in the early 1970s, appearing in notable plays such as Black Jesus and, with the New York’s Negro Ensemble Company, Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide and Liberty Calland. By the mid-’70s he began performing in other Off Broadway shows under the name Samm-Art Williams.

By the end of the decade, Williams had made his mark as a stage writer, and is today best known for Home, a drama originally staged by the Negro Ensemble Company in 1979 that moved to Broadway the following year. Home will be revived on Broadway beginning this June is a major Roundabout Theatre Company production directed by Kenny Leon.

The production begins previews May 17 at the Todd Haimes Theatre, opening on June 5.

Home is described by Roundabout as “a muscular and melodic coming-of-age story that gives voice to the unbreakable spirit of all Americans who have been searching for a place to belong.” The drama tells the story of Cephus Miles, a black Southern farmer thrown in jail for opposing the Vietnam draft and later moving North only to experience further difficulties before finally returning home.

The original Broadway production was nominated for the Best Play Tony Award and ran for 278 performances. Williams’ other stage credits include Welcome To Black River and Friends.

Williams also kept busy throughout the 1980s and ’90s writing for such TV shows as The New Mike Hammer, Cagney and Lacey, Badges, John Henry, Frank’s Place, Miami Vice, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Martin, among others. He received a 1985 Emmy nomination (Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program) for Motown Returns to the Apollo (shared with fellow writers Buz Kohan and Peter Elbling).

As a producer, Williams was Emmy-nominated for Frank’s Place, and scored major TV hits with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper, Martin and The Good News.

A recognizable actor, Williams made notable appearances in 1984’s Blood Simple and as the enslaved person Jim in a 1985 American Playhouse/PBS limited series production of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Other acting credits include guest appearances in 227, Miami Vice, Frank’s Place, The Women of Brewster Place, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, A Rage In Harlem and Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper.

On the big screen, he made his debut The Wanderers (1979), and the following year played a subway police officer in director Brian De Palma’s Dressed to Kill.

Accolades include a Guggenheim Fellowship, The National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Playwriting, and other awards for writing. He was an Artist-in-Residence at North Carolina Central University, where he taught classes on equity theater and the art of playwriting.

Producer

David Ramsey and Roz Ryan in The Good News (1997)

The Good News

8.0

TV Series

executive producer

1997–1998

21 episodes

 

Martin Lawrence, Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell, Thomas Mikal Ford, and Carl Anthony Payne II in Martin (1992)

Martin

7.5

TV Series

executive producer

1994–1997

78 episodes

 

Holly Robinson Peete, Mark Curry, Sandra Quarterman, Raven-Symoné, and Marquise Wilson in Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992)

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

6.4

TV Series

co-executive producer

1993–1994

7 episodes

 

Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

7.9

TV Series

co-executive producer

supervising producer

producer

1990–1993

72 episodes

 

Tim Reid and Daphne Reid in Frank's Place (1987)

Frank's Place

8.6

TV Series

co-producer

1988

4 episodes

 

Writer

Home

writer

2012

 

David Ramsey and Roz Ryan in The Good News (1997)

The Good News

8.0

TV Series

writer

1997

2 episodes

 

Martin Lawrence, Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell, Thomas Mikal Ford, and Carl Anthony Payne II in Martin (1992)

Martin

7.5

TV Series

Writer

1994–1997

5 episodes

 

Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

7.9

TV Series

writer

written by

1990–1993

9 episodes

 

The Debbie Allen Special

6.4

TV Special

Writer

1989

 

Tim Reid and Daphne Reid in Frank's Place (1987)

Frank's Place

8.6

TV Series

written by

1987–1988

4 episodes

 

Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless in Cagney & Lacey (1981)

Cagney & Lacey

6.8

TV Series

written by

1987

1 episode

 

Stacy Keach in The New Mike Hammer (1984)

The New Mike Hammer

6.8

TV Series

teleplay

1987

1 episode

 

Tall Tales & Legends (1985)

Tall Tales & Legends

7.0

TV Series

writer

1986

1 episode

 

Motown Returns to the Apollo

9.0

TV Special

writer

1985

 

American Playhouse (1980)

American Playhouse

7.3

TV Series

teleplay

1984–1985

2 episodes

 

Actor

Holly Robinson Peete, Mark Curry, Sandra Quarterman, Raven-Symoné, and Marquise Wilson in Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992)

Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

6.4

TV Series

Samm

1993

1 episode

 

Danny Glover, Forest Whitaker, Robin Givens, and Gregory Hines in A Rage in Harlem (1991)

A Rage in Harlem

5.9

Gus Parsons

1991

 

Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

7.9

TV Series

Thug

1990

1 episode

 

Sarah Jessica Parker, Debrah Farentino, James Wilder, George DiCenzo, Jane Kaczmarek, Kathleen Lloyd, Barry Miller, Joe Morton, and Jon Tenney in Equal Justice (1990)

Equal Justice

6.3

TV Series

Judge Alvin MacArthur

1990

1 episode

 

Oprah Winfrey, Robin Givens, Lynn Whitfield, Jackée Harry, Paula Kelly, Lonette McKee, and Phyllis Yvonne Stickney in The Women of Brewster Place (1989)

The Women of Brewster Place

7.7

TV Mini Series

Cecil Garvin (as Samm Art Williams)

1989

2 episodes

 

Tim Reid and Daphne Reid in Frank's Place (1987)

Frank's Place

8.6

TV Series

Sheriff

1987

1 episode

 

Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in Miami Vice (1984)

Miami Vice

7.6

TV Series

Lead DEA Agent

1987

1 episode

 

Marla Gibbs and Jackée Harry in 227 (1985)

227

6.7

TV Series

Jim Manning

1987

1 episode

 

Stacy Keach in The New Mike Hammer (1984)

The New Mike Hammer

6.8

TV Series

Malachi 'Bubba' Crown

1986

1 episode

 

American Playhouse (1980)

American Playhouse

7.3

TV Series

Jim

1986

4 episodes

 

Hot Resort (1985)

Hot Resort

3.6

Bill Martin

1985

 

Blood Simple (1984)

Blood Simple

7.5

Meurice

1984

 

Cook & Peary: The Race to the Pole (1983)

Cook & Peary: The Race to the Pole

6.3

TV Movie

Matt Henson

1983

 

A House Divided: Denmark Vessey's Rebellion (1982)

A House Divided: Denmark Vessey's Rebellion

7.3

Peter Poyas

1982

 

ABC Afterschool Specials (1972)

ABC Afterschool Specials

7.1

TV Series

Cop

1981

1 episode

 

Dressed to Kill (1980)

Dressed to Kill

7.1

Subway Cop

1980

 

Jane Krakowski, Matthew Ashford, Domini Blythe, Colleen Dion, Terri Eoff, David Forsyth, Lee Godart, Louan Gideon, Marcia McCabe, Jeffrey Meek, Jacqueline Schultz, and Mary Stuart in Search for Tomorrow (1951)

Search for Tomorrow

7.1

TV Series

Officer Welch

1980

2 episodes

 

Night of the Juggler (1980)

Night of the Juggler

6.5

Peep Show Bouncer (as Samm Art Williams)

1980

 

The Wanderers (1979)

The Wanderers

7.3

Roger

1979

 

The Baron (1977)

The Baron

5.4

Rufus

1977

 

Summerdog (1977)

Summerdog

4.6

Officer Brown

1977