LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Hollywood celebrities paid their respects to Treat Williams, who died at the age of 71 in a motorcycle crash near his home in Vermont on Monday, June 12. The accident occurred near Dorset in Vermont and he was soon airlifted to Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York, where he was pronounced dead. The collision with a 2008 Honda Element threw Williams from his motorcycle who suffered multiple injuries as he hit the ground hard. Despite all the help from the paramedics, Williams could not be revived and later died of his injuries. He is survived by his wife Pam Van Sant, and children, Gill and Elinor.
Williams’ agent Barry McPherson confirmed his death to People, informing the outlet, “He was killed this afternoon. He was making a left or a right [and] a car cut him off.” A heartthrob in his younger years, Williams immortalized himself with roles in Steven Spielberg’s ‘1941’ (1979), Sergio Leone’s ‘Once Upon a Time in America’ (1984), ‘Dead Heat’ (1988), 'Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead’ (1995) and ‘Deep Rising’ (1998). Williams was also a recipient of three Golden Globe nominations for ‘Hair', 'Prince of the City, and the TV movie ‘A Streetcar Named Desire'. However, he’s most fondly remembered for his portrayal of Dr Andrew Brown in WB’s series ‘Everwood’ and a retired NYPD detective on the CBS crime drama ‘Blue Bloods.’ Williams’ unfortunate demise has shaken the entertainment world which is paying its respects to the work and life of the celebrated actor.
‘He had it all’
As soon as the news broke of Williams' death, celebrities around the globe sprung to pay their heartfelt respects to the legacy of the 71-year-old actor. Billy Baldwin, known for his roles in ‘Backdraft’ and ‘Silver’ took to Twitter and wrote, “He had it all. Smart. Talented. Funny. Charming. Successful. Handsome. Compassionate. Heart of gold. And that name… Treat Williams. He truly and deeply cared about what was going on here in America and around the world. Climate change, social justice, freedom, truth, tolerance…love. Beloved by his family, friends, fans, colleagues… his community. A terrible loss. You will be missed. Rest in power Treat.”
His long homage was followed by Wendell Pierce’s, “Treat Williams was a passionate, adventurous, creative man. In a short period of time, he quickly befriended me & his adventurous spirit was infectious. We worked on just 1 film together but occasionally connected over the years. Kind and generous with advice and support. RIP” and James Woods who wrote, “Treat and I spent months in Rome filming Once Upon a Time in America. It can be pretty lonely on the road during a long shoot, but his resilient good cheer, and sense of humor was a Godsend. I really loved him and am devastated that he’s gone. #RIP #TreatWilliams."
‘Let the sunshine in’
Richard Roeper, the esteemed film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times was visibly shaken by Williams' death and paid his respects by reminiscing about some of Williams’ best roles. "Hair,” “Prince of the City,” “Once Upon a Time in America,” “Smooth Talk,” “Chesapeake Shores.” Let the sunshine in and rest well, Treat Williams.” Malcolm McDowell known for his iconic role in ‘A Clockwork Orange’ also took to Twitter and said, “Treat’s passing is a great loss to the acting community. Our prayers are with his loved ones. RIP #treatwilliams #rip #restinpeace.” The 75-year-old ‘Better Call Saul’ star Michael Mckean expressed, “Treat Williams. Devastating. A very good man.” Former World No. 1 Tennis player, Chris Evert didn’t shy away to honor the memory of Williams as well and said, "I just read where Treat Williams died today in a motorcycle accident. I didn’t know him personally, but my heart feels very heavy. I’ve enjoyed reading his social media and he seemed to be a very happy, grateful, humble man. It’s a sad day, RIP Treat.”
