Motorcycle star ‘Everwood’ and ‘Hair’ killed at 71 – Deadline

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Updated with a family statement: Treat Williams, the versatile and prolific actor best known for playing Dr. Andy Brown as Greg Berlanti everwood During a career of nearly half a century, has died, the deadline confirmed. Williams was killed in a motorcycle accident in Dorset, Virginia. He was 71 years old.

The Williams family released the following statement to Deadline, which read in part, “Therapy was filled with love for his family, his life, and his profession, and he was truly on top of his game in all of it. … To all of his fans, please know that Treat has appreciated you all and please keep going.” To keep him in your hearts and prayers.” Read the full statement below.

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said Jacob Gribble, Dorset’s chief fire officer the people that the accident occurred around 5 p.m. ET and involved a Williams motorcycle and one car, whose driver had apparently not seen Williams. He was the only person injured in the accident. A helicopter was called to airlift him to the hospital.

Williams played the lead philanthropist at the World Bank everwood for four seasons from 2002-2006, a role that seemed to fit the actor perfectly. Williams has received two SAG Award nominations for his work on the show. The series was never a ratings blockbuster, but it helped launch the careers of Chris Pratt, Emily VanCamp, and Gregory Smith.

Williams was well-seasoned by the time the show came out: his first big break came when he auditioned for a road company for fat.

“I came back and they put me on Broadway as an understudy for four of the guys, including John Travolta and Jeff Conway,” said Williams. Vermont magazine. “I covered Teen Angel, Doody, Danny Zuko, and Roger. Within two weeks, I was on Broadway. It was a baptism of fire, but it was great.”

He would eventually appear in six Broadway shows from 1974-2001, incl Follies, love letters and the original production of Penzance Hackers.

He first appeared in the movie in 1975 The killer hero. The following year he played a supporting role in Richard Lester The Ritz It also appeared in John Sturges’ The eagle has landed. His big screen breakthrough came in 1979, when he played George Berger in Miloš Forman’s film Poetrybased on the 1967 Broadway musical. Williams was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for this film.

Other big screen credits of the actor include Steven Spielberg 1941 (1979), Sidney Lumet Prince of the city (1981), Sergio Leone Once upon a time in America (1984), dead heat (1988), Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (1995) And Deep hike (1998).

Williams has posted online a lot about life in Vermont, sharing photos on social media of his ranch and appreciation of rural life. His last tweet It came less than an hour before his death.

“I’ve always had a great love for Vermont, winter and summer. There was just something incredibly special about it to me, and the people here are incredibly honest, genuine, and humorous. Never traveled before. Every day I wake up so grateful to see the view that I see it from my window and I live here.”

On television, Williams’ career stretches back 40 years to his starring role in the 1983 telefilm dempsey, About the former heavyweight champion the actor bore more than a fleeting resemblance. Followed up with two more TV movies: A Streetcar Named Desire (1984), where he played Stanley Kowalski, W.J Edgar Hoover (1987), playing the titular G-Man. Dozens of other TV movies followed, and some series were interspersed before everwood It came along. Most notably there was good advice with Shelley Long, a sitcom that ran on CBS for two seasons from 1993-1994.

Williams has recently appeared in a six episode arc Blue blood Like Lenny Ross and on the Hallmark Channel Chesapeake shores From 2016 to 22.

Statement on the death of Treat Williams

It is with great sadness that we report that our beloved Treat Williams passed away tonight in Dorset, Vermont after a fatal motorcycle accident. As you can imagine, we were deeply shocked and bereaved at this time.

Therapy was filled with love for his family, his life, and his profession, and he was really on top of his game in it all. It’s all very traumatic at the moment, but please know that Therapy was deeply loved and respected by his family and everyone who knew him.

We are deeply devastated and ask that you respect our privacy while we deal with our grief. To all of his fans, please know that Treat has been appreciated by all of you and please continue to keep him in your hearts and prayers.

Williams family