Samm-Art Williams was an actor, writer, and producer who worked on shows like “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Martin” whose Tony Award-nominated 1979 play, “Home,” is returning to Broadway this summer.
- Died: May 13, 2024 (Who else died on May 13?)
- Details of death: Died in Burgaw, North Carolina at the age of 78.
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Samm-Art Williams’s legacy
North Carolina-born Samm-Art Williams’ mother was a high school English teacher, an influence that helped him become widely read at an early age. A graduate of Morgan State University in Baltimore, he moved to Philadelphia, and later New York, to become a playwright and actor. There, he performed on stage in shows like “Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide,” “Black Jesus,” and others.
In 1979, the stage comedy Williams wrote, “Home,” debuted. First performed by the Negro Ensemble Company at St. Mark’s Playhouse, it moved to Broadway in 1980 and ran through 1981. The work earned Williams Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations. It also won an Outer Critics Circle Award, NAACP Image Award, and a North Carolina Governor’s Award. “Home” is set to return to Broadway this summer, 45 years after its initial premiere.
When not writing for the stage, Williams was a television writer and producer, most notably for shows like “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Martin,” and “Cagney & Lacey.” He also had small screen roles as an actor in shows like “227,” “The New Mike Hammer,” and others. Williams’ achievements include winning the Guggenheim fellowship and the National Endowment for the Arts fellowship for playwriting.
Tributes to Samm-Art Williams
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
