Treat Williams, who was best known for starring in The WB series Everwood, Miloš Forman‘s big-screen adaptation musical Hair, and Sidney Lumet‘s 1981 crime film Prince of the City, died on Monday afternoon as a result of injuries sustained in a tragic motorcycle accident near Dorset, Vermont. He was 71.
Born Richard Treat Williams on Dec. 1, 1951 in Rowayton, Connecticut, Williams graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania before heading west to pursue an acting career. He made his screen debut in 1975 with a role in the Don Murray feature Deadly Hero before landing the lead role of Berger in Hair, which brought him a Golden Globe nomination. He’d earn another soon after for his acclaimed turn in Prince of the City.
In addition to Forman and Lumet, Williams worked with filmmaking greats such as Steven Spielberg (1941), Sergio Leone (Once Upon a Time in the West), Alan J. Pakula (The Devil’s Own), and Danny Boyle (127 Hours). He also starred in studio movies including the cult favorite creature feature Deep Rising, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous, Mulholland Falls, The Phantom, and What Happens in Vegas, as well as indies such as Run Hide Fight, Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead, and 1985’s Smooth Talk, which paired him with Laura Dern and brought him an Indie Spirit nod.
However, Williams was perhaps best known for playing Dr. Andy Brown on Everwood, which brought him a SAG Award nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series. The show followed his Manhattan neurosurgeon as he moves his family from Manhattan to rural Colorado following the death of his wife. Williams’ more recent TV credits include Blue Bloods, Chicago Fire, White Collar, and HBO’s acclaimed limited series We Own This City, as well as the Hallmark Channel’s Chesapeake Stories.
Vermont State Police reported a road closure near Dorset due to a motor vehicle accident at 5:24 p.m. ET. Williams was immediately transferred to Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York, though his death was confirmed hours later by his family, who released a statement via Williams’ agency, APA. It reads as follows:
“It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved Treat Williams has passed away tonight in Dorset, Vt. after a fatal motorcycle accident. As you can imagine, we are shocked and greatly bereaved at this time. Treat was full of love for his family, for his life and for his craft, and was truly at the top of his game in all of it. It is all so shocking right now, but please know that Treat was dearly and deeply loved and respected by his family and everyone who knew him. We are beyond devastated and ask that you respect our privacy as we deal with our grief. To all his fans, please know that Treat appreciated all of you and please continue to keep him in your hearts and prayers.”
Williams is survived by his wife, Pam Van Sant, and their children, Gil and Elinor Williams.
