Heavy
Prolific Hallmark Channel star Treat Williams has died at the age of 71 in a motorcycle accident, according to People. The actor starred on family drama series “Chesapeake Shores,” among other Hallmark projects.
Here’s what you need to know:
Treat Williams Died Monday, June 12 in a Motorcycle Accident in Vermont
Actor Treat Williams was killed in the afternoon of Monday, June 12, his longtime agent Barry McPherson told People.
“He was killed this afternoon. He was making a left or a right [and] a car cut him off,” McPherson said. “I’m just devastated. He was the nicest guy. He was so talented. He was an actor’s actor. Filmmakers loved him. He’s been the heart of the Hollywood since the late 1970s. He was really proud of his performance this year. He’s been so happy with the work that I got him. He’s had a balanced career.”
Though his identity has not been confirmed by local authorities, the fire chief in Dorset, Vermont told People that there was a crash around 5 p.m. involving Williams’ motorcycle and a single car. The fire chief told People that the investigators believe the car’s driver was turning and did not see the motorcycle.
Williams Starred in a Plethora of Hallmark Channel Projects
In addition to the family drama “Everwood” and the 1979 feature film adaptation of the musical “Hair,” for which Williams earned a Golden Globe nomination, Williams starred in six Hallmark movies, one miniseries and five seasons of “Chesapeake Shores.”
His most recent Hallmark offerings in addition to “Chesapeake Shores” were the two “Christmas House” movies in 2020 and 2021. He also starred in “Beyond the Blackboard,” “Safe Harbor,” and “Chasing a Dream” for Hallmark.
One of Williams’ best-known roles was as Dr. Andy Brown on “Everwood,” for which he received two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. He also received a Golden Globe nomination in 1981 for “Prince of the City” and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for “The Late Shift” in 1996.
In a 2016 interview with My Devotional Thoughts, Williams said that part of the reason he signed on for “Chesapeake Shores” was that it reminded him of “Everwood.”
“I read the pilot [for ‘Chesapeake Shores’], and it reminded me of — it’s not unlike ‘Everwood,’ though very different, but very much alike in certain ways. It had the Frank Capra-esque feeling. I like the fact that at the outset… not unlike ‘Everwood,’ his wife dies suddenly in a tragic car accident, and then he decides to quit his job as a famous surgeon and move to this small town and open a clinic,” said Williams.
He continued, “I love the idea of Mick at the age of 58 deciding that his family needs to reconvene and get together and try to sort of discover what they had missed over the course of growing up with their mother. There’s that wonderful line, where I say, ‘Sometimes you have to take a step backward in order to move forward.’ And I thought there were a lot of great possibilities dramatically in the sense of showing tender loving care and some healing.”
According to People, Williams is survived by his wife Pam Van Sant and their two children, Gille and Ellie.
So sad. He was such a wonderful actor.