Van Williams
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Van (Van Zandt) Williams is an American actor (born February 22, 1934, in Fort Worth, Texas) best known for his brief yet world famous television role as "Britt Reid" aka "The Green Hornet" with the late Bruce Lee as his sidekick Kato, in the 1966-1967 ABC The Green Hornet television series, and for his earlier leading role as Kenny Madison in both Warner Bros. television detective series Bourbon Street Beat (1959) and its sequel Surfside Six (1960).
Williams found himself at odds with his television producers, being among a number who fought to provide more on screen time for his friend and martial arts teacher Bruce Lee. This move had an element of self interest considering Lee was attracting the most interest in the series and emphasizing him partially seemed a move that could have kept the series alive, at a time when nonwhite actors were shunned by Hollywood. The Green Hornet aired 26 episodes of 30 minutes each, with an additional two crossover episodes of 30 minutes each featuring The Green Hornet and Kato on the Batman television series.
A diving instructor in Hawaii in 1956, Williams was discovered there by producer Mike Todd in 1957, who invited him to come to Hollywood and try his hand at acting. Todd died in a plane crash, but his discovery had made his way to Hollywood for vocal and acting lessons. Williams was signed to a contract by Warner Brothers in 1959. His big break came as costar of the Bourbon Street Beat television series 1959-1960, with Andrew Duggan and Richard Long. He later worked in a General Electric production with Ronald Reagan, and his Bourbon Street Beat character, Kenny Madison, was recycled into the Surfside 6 television series in exactly the same time slot, with Troy Donahue. Williams also appeared in the movies Tall Story (1960) and The Caretakers (1963) and on the television series The Tycoon with Walter Brennan. When his Warner Brothers contract lapsed in 1964, Williams signed with 20th Century Fox to portray newspaper editor Britt Reid on The Green Hornet (grandson of the brother of John Reid, The Lone Ranger).
His friend Bruce Lee died of a cerebral edema in 1973. Van's acting career faded around that time, though he made a few television guest appearances. At one time, Williams owned a small business that marketed telecommunications products, and spent several months a year in Southern California as a reserve deputy with the Malibu station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. He is also a partner in the 4000 acre (16 km²) Waialua Ranch on Oahu, Hawaii. Williams keeps in touch with the American public at autograph conventions from time to time, where he remains popular among Green Hornet and Bruce Lee fans. Syndication on cable television has brought back many old television series, introducing Williams to a new generation of viewers.
He and his wife Vicki have three grown children. He has twin daughters from a prior marriage who remain in his home state of Texas. Williams resides today in Ketchum, Idaho. Ironically, his neighbor and longtime friend is Adam West, star of the Batman television series on which The Green Hornet and Kato appeared several times.
Contents |
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Cinema
- Tall Story (1960)
- The Caretakers (1963)
[edit] Television
- Bourbon Street Beat (1959-1960) as Ken Madison
- The Green Hornet (1966-1967) title role aka Britt Reid
- includes cross-over episodes on Batman
- Surfside 6 as Ken Madison
- The Tycoon
- Westwind as Steve Andrews
