A native of
New York, Williams’s career spanned five decades in theater, television and film
Clarence Williams III, who played the cool undercover cop Linc Hayes on the counterculture series The Mod Squad and Prince’s father in Purple Rain, has died. He was 81.
Williams died on Friday at his home in
Los Angeles after a battle with colon
cancer, his manager Allan Mindel said. Tributes came quickly on
Social Media from both those who worked with Williams and those who admired him for his trailblazing roles and impactful performances.