Clarence Williams III, ‘The Mod Squad’ and ‘Purple Rain’ Actor, Dead at 81

etonline.com:

multiple outlets on Sunday, sharing he died on Friday in Los Angeles due to colon cancer.The Harlem native began his career in theater and went on to earn a Tony nomination in 1965 for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his work in  From 1968 to 1973, he starred as undercover cop Lincoln Hayes on the ABC drama .On the big screen, Williams played Prince’s troubled father in 1984's, Wesley Snipes and Michael Wright’s dad in 1993's and Maynard in 2013's Williams’ other film credits include,,, and .Williams was married to actress Gloria Foster, who portrayed Oracle in the first two Matrix movies, from 1967 to 1984.He is survived by his sister Sondra Pugh, daughter Jamey Phillips, niece Suyin Shaw, grandnephews Elliot Shaw and Ese Shaw, and.