R.I.P. Treat Williams
Article by Ray Schillaci
Sadly, not only has another great talent been taken away from us, but Treat Williams was well known to be one of the good guys. His agent, Barry McPherson tells PEOPLE magazine, “He was the nicest guy. He was so talented.” And yet Hollywood never really took full advantage of his versatility for being as adept with comedy as he could be with drama. He proved this through one of his first roles as the high-pitched inept detective in the laugh riot The Ritz. Later, through his time as a stage actor and his lead role in the stage musical Grease, Williams would prove to be perfect for the role of Berger in Milos Forman’s film version of the musical, Hair. He would also be nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the role.
The same year, Williams would slip back into comedy with an outlandish role as a military bully in Spielberg’s 1941. A couple years later he would partner with Sidney Lumet and take the lead of the real life Detective Daniel Ciello with a very strong ensemble cast in the dramatic Prince of the City. That proved to be one of the best cop dramas of the ’80s, and once again he would be nominated for a Golden Globe Award. From there, Williams would go on to memorable roles in The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper, Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America, the assassination thriller Flashpoint and two outstanding dramatic television turns as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire and Dempsey, where he played the legendary boxer.
The man had an infectious smile that he put to good use whether he was playing the part of a smart ass, if he was letting you in on the joke, or he was preparing to do something his character should not be doing. He carried the audience with that smile. And, no matter how ridiculous a situation in a film, like a multi-tentacled beast chasing him throughout a ghost ship as in Deep Rising, we always ended up rooting for him unless he was the bad guy, and even then we had a soft spot for him.
Born in a small coastal village in Connecticut, Richard Treat Williams had a mother who dealt in antiques and a father that was a corporate executive. He became serious about his craft once he started college in Pennsylvania while working summers in Amish country. He performed the classics, contemporary dramas and musicals on stage. An interesting side note, Williams’ great-great-great grandfather was William Henry Barnum, third cousin to the infamous P.T. Barnum.
The man was an actor’s actor. He continued to do Broadway as well as film and TV. His television appearances were numerous, but it was his role as Dr. Andy Brown on the WB’s Everwood that ran for six seasons that would get him nominated twice for a SAG award. He also earned an Emmy nomination for his portrayal as Michael Ovitz in HBO’s The Late Shift. The man worked consistently from the mid-’70s all the way up until his passing with two other projects in the works.
Treat appeared to live life to the fullest. Taking on every role with a great fervor whether it was comedy, drama or even low budget action fare. He was a certified flight instructor and a scuba diver. He leaves behind his wife, Pam Van Sant, their two children, Gill and Ellie, and a memorable film legacy.
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