'Sanford and Son' Actor Hal Williams Kept Postal Job While Filming Hit Sitcom

Hal Williams, who played Officer "Smitty" Smith on NBC's "Sanford and Son," died on 15 July 2026 in Rancho Mirage, California, at 91. No cause was disclosed. During the show's 1970s peak, Williams worked overnight postal shifts, unable to afford quitting — a reminder that even working actors on top-rated television faced deep financial insecurity.