Treat Williams MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Everwood star Treat Williams died after being involved in a motorcycle accident. He was 71.
“He was killed this afternoon. He was making a left or a right [and] a car cut him off,” the actor’s rep of 15 years, Barry McPherson confirmed to People in a Monday, June 12, statement. “I’m just devastated. He was the nicest guy. He was so talented.”
He continued: “He was an actor’s actor. Filmmakers loved him. He’s been the heart of Hollywood since the late 1970s. 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, claimed that the crash happened on Monday at approximately 5 p.m. ET on Route 30 and involved a single car and Williams’ motorcycle, per People. Local authorities have yet to identify the Hair star, but Gribble noted that the motorcyclist was allegedly the only person hurt and that a LifeNet helicopter was summoned from Ticonderoga, New York, to airlift him to a hospital.
Williams, who got his start in theatre, began his film career in the 1970s by appearing in various mainstream hits like Deadly Hero, The Ritz and The Eagle Has Landed. His big break, however, came in 1979 when he starred as George Berger in the movie adaptation of Broadway’s critically acclaimed Hair. The role earned him a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year — Actor. His second nomination came in 1981 for his portrayal of Daniel Ciello in Prince of the City.
The 1941 actor also made his mark on the small screen. After portraying Dr. Andy Brown on The WB’s Everwood from 2002 to 2006 — a performance that earned him a SAG Award nomination for outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series — Williams nabbed roles on network hits like Blue Bloods and The Late Shift. In 2016, he began his tenure as Mick O’Brien on Hallmark Channel’s Chesapeake Shores, a family drama based on the novel by Sherryl Woods of the same name. He remained on the show until its sixth and final season.
While Williams found success in the entertainment industry, he found happiness in his personal life as well. The Connecticut native married wife Pam Van Sant — whom he met when she was waitressing in a New York restaurant — in 1988. The pair went on to welcome two children, Gille and Ellie, in 1992 and 1998, respectively.
In August 2018, Williams opened up to Parade about how having a family changed the way he approached his career — and helped him decide which roles he took on.
“At this point in my life if I’m going to go leave the house in Vermont, which I absolutely adore, it really has to be, ‘Oh, boy, I can’t wait to get on the airplane to do this with these guys,’ he told the outlet, adding that the “best” advice he ever received was to be “passionate” about the work he does.
“Do what you want. Do what you love. The rest will take care of itself,” he continued. “I always lived by that. I think it’s a great way to pursue anything in life that you love. Be passionate about it, commit yourself to it, and the rest will come. I don’t know how sage that is, but that’s the best I got today.”
Williams is survived by his wife and children.
