Samm-Art Williams Obituary – Samuel Arthur Williams (January 20, 1946 – May 13, 2024) was an American playwright and screenwriter, television producer, and an actor on stage, television and film. Much of his work concerns the African-American experience.
A Tony-nominated playwright, actor and director and an executive producer on NBC’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, has died. He was 78. Williams died Monday in Burgaw, North Carolina, his cousin Carol Brown told The Hollywood Reporter.
In the theatre community, Williams is perhaps best known as the Tony-nominated playwright of Home, which was first directed by Douglas Turner Ward and produced on Broadway by the Negro Ensemble Company in 1980.
The show is set to return to Broadway on June 5, with Kenny Leon directing. In addition to its Tony nom for best play, Home received an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Drama Desk nomination, an NAACP Image Award and a North Carolina Governor’s Award.
In addition, Williams authored Welcome to Black River, Friends, and various additional plays that were staged in New York, Los Angeles, and other locations. Williams penned episodes for various television shows including Cagney & Lacey, The New Mike Hammer, Miami Vice, and The Debbie Allen Special.
He received two Emmy nominations, one in 1988 for his role as a producer on Frank’s Place and another in 1985 for Motown Returns to the Apollo. Between 1990 until 1993, he held the position of executive producer for the television show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” starring Will Smith.
Williams was born in Philadelphia on January 20, 1946, and attended Morgan State University in Baltimore. Throughout his career, Williams was honoured with prestigious accolades such as the Guggenheim Fellowship, The National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Play-writing, and various other writing honours. He was unmarried and had no offspring.
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