Actor Treat Williams, who starred in 'Hair' and 'Everwood,' dead at 71 following motorcycle crash
- Treat Williams was killed in a motorcycle accident on Monday, according to Vermont state police.
- "I'm just devastated. He was the nicest guy. He was so talented," his agent told People.
Actor Treat Williams, best known for starring in the TV series "Everwood" and the movie "Hair," died Monday following a motorcycle crash in Vermont, his agent Barry McPherson has confirmed to People. He was 71.
"He was killed this afternoon. He was making a left or a right [and] a car cut him off," McPherson told the outlet. "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 continued. "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."
According to a statement from Vermont State Police, shortly before 5 p.m., a Honda SUV was turning left into a parking lot when it collided with Williams' motorcycle in the town of Dorset.
Williams was unable to avoid the collision and was thrown from his motorcycle. He suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York, where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the SUV, a 35-year-old man, received minor injuries and wasn't hospitalized.
The police report confirmed that Williams had been wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.
Williams was born Richard Treat Williams on December 1, 1951, in Stamford, Connecticut, and got his first role at the age of 24 in the 1975 thriller "Deadly Hero." However, it was the 1979 adaptation of the Broadway musical "Hair," in which he portrayed the hippie leader George Berger, that made him a star. His performance in the role earned him a Golden Globe nomination for new star of the year.
Williams landed a second Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a motion picture drama for the 1981 film "Prince of the City," and a third for his take on Stanley Kowalski in the television adaptation of "A Streetcar Named Desire."
Williams also starred in the films "The Eagle Has Landed," "Once Upon a Time in America," and "The Late Shift," as well as an uncredited role in the second "Star Wars" film, "The Empire Strikes Back."
More recently, he starred alongside Jennifer Lopez in the 2018 drama "Second Act."
Besides The WB's "Everwood," in which he played the leading role of Dr. Andrew Brown, Williams' small screen credits included Hallmark Channel's "Chesapeake Shores," NBC's "Chicago Fire," and ABC drama "Brothers & Sisters."
He was last seen on screen in April of this year playing a former police partner of "Blue Bloods" protagonist Frank Reagan, played by Tom Selleck.
He had several projects in production at the time of his death, including "Feud: Capote's Women," the second installment of FX's anthology series from Ryan Murphy and Plan B.
Williams also appeared in a half-dozen Broadway shows throughout his career, including "Follies," "Love Letters," and the original production of "The Pirates of Penzance."
According to the Los Angeles Times, during a 1996 appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman," Williams spoke about his life on his 15-acre Vermont "farmette," describing himself as a "gentleman farmer" as he had no animals but lots of plants, a fruit orchard, and grapevines.
Up until his death, Williams regularly shared with his Twitter followers snippets of his life on his farm and praised the country life. Hours before the crash occurred, Williams posted his final video of a man tending to his farm, captioned: "What a real Vermonter does."
Williams is survived by his wife, actress Pam Van Sant, and their two children, Gille and Ellie.