Born in New York, Clarence Williams III began his career in a production of “Dark of the Moon,” directed by Vinette Carroll. He appeared on Broadway opposite Geraldine Page in “The Great Outdoors” and co-starred with Maggie Smith in Tom Stoppard’s “Night and Day.” For his performance in “Slow Dance on the Killing Ground,” Williams received a Tony nomination and won a Theatre World Award. He has worked extensively at the New York Shakespeare Festival and, under Joseph Papp's direction, starred in “King John” at the Delacorte Theatre.
Williams has appeared in many television shows including “Law and Order,” “Star Trek,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Miami Vice,” “Judging Amy,” and “Twin Peaks.” For five seasons, he co-starred as Linc Hayes in his own television series, the classic cop drama “Mod Squad.”
During Williams’ film career he has enjoyed a long collaboration with John Frankenheimer, starting with “52 Pickup” and followed by “Reindeer Games,” “The George Wallace Story” and “Attica.” Williams has also appeared in “The General’s Daughter,” “Purple Rain” (as Prince’s father), “Sugar Hill,” “Deep Cover,” “Hoodlum,” and “Life.” His independent films include “The Brave,” Johnny Depp’s directorial debut; “Happy Here and Now” for Michael Almereyda; and the costume drama “The Legend of 1900,” directed by Giuseppe Tornatore.
