‘Everwood’ and ‘Deep Rising’ star Treat Williams passed away at age 71

Treat Williams, a veteran actor renowned for his roles in the TV dramas “Blue Bloods” and “Everwood,” tragically passed away on Monday night due to a motorcycle accident in Vermont, according to his longtime agent, Barry McPherson, as reported by CNN.

The 71-year-old actor’s untimely demise occurred on Monday around 5 p.m. EST on Route 30 near Dorset, as revealed by Jacob Gribble, the fire chief for Dorset, Vermont, in an interview with People. While local authorities have not officially identified Williams, Gribble stated that investigators believe the accident transpired when a driver turning failed to notice the motorcycle driven by Williams. CNN has reached out to Gribble for further comments. The incident resulted in one person being airlifted to a regional medical center, while another was transported via ground ambulance, as shared in a Facebook post by Manchester, VT fire officials.

Born as Richard Treat Williams in Rowayton, Connecticut, the actor pursued a theater education and subsequently relocated to New York City. It was there that he secured the understudy role for John Travolta in the musical “Grease” and later took over the lead role of Danny Zuko.

Williams’ illustrious screen career showcased his versatility, starting with an early role in director Milos Forman’s adaptation of the musical “Hair” in 1979. He followed that with a prominent role in the gritty undercover crime drama “Prince of the City,” directed by Sidney Lumet, two years later.

Although Williams appeared destined for major stardom, his subsequent films didn’t quite match the early promise. However, he continued to work consistently, including starring in a TV movie remake of “A Streetcar Named Desire” and portraying iconic figures such as boxer Jack Dempsey and FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover in other TV movies.

In the 1990s, Williams transitioned into different types of roles, portraying the villain in the pulp-comic adaptation “The Phantom” and embodying super-agent Michael Ovitz in the HBO movie based on the book “The Late Shift,” which chronicled the “The Tonight Show” succession battle between Jay Leno and David Letterman. His exceptional performance in the latter earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination.

During the late ’90s, Williams experienced success as a leading action star in the B-movie “Deep Rising,” a thrilling tale centered around a killer sea monster, where he starred alongside Famke Janssen, Wes Studi, and Djimon Hounsou.

Williams subsequently found renewed success on television, particularly in the CW series “Everwood,” where he portrayed a prominent role for four seasons during the 2000s. He also made recent appearances in the popular series “Chicago Fire.” Additionally, he was part of the core cast of “Chesapeake Shores,” appearing in a total of 53 episodes between 2016 and 2022. Furthermore, he co-starred in the HBO miniseries “We Own This City” last year, a production by producer David Simon that delved into corruption and internal politics within the Baltimore police department.

The late actor leaves behind his wife Pam Van Sant and their two children. Devastated by the news, Barry McPherson expressed his grief, stating, “I’m just devastated. He was the nicest guy. He was so talented.” McPherson further described Williams as an “actor’s actor” and emphasized how filmmakers adored him, as he had been an integral part of Hollywood since the late 1970s.

In 2020, Williams filmed an “Acting Lessons” video for Netflix, in which he imparted valuable advice to younger actors. He encouraged them to focus on the substance of their performances rather