Marla Gibbs is remembering her longtime friend and "227" co-star Hal Williams, days after his death at 91 shook the television world.
The 95-year-old actress shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, revealing that she and Williams spoke by phone just weeks before he passed. "We talked just a couple of weeks ago, laughing, and carrying on like we always did... we still call each other Mary and Lester after all the years," Gibbs wrote. "I never imagined it would be our last conversation."
Gibbs and Williams' bond stretched back decades before "227" became a television staple. She recalled that Williams was part of the original stage production at her Crossroads Theater, where he helped organize seating and secured donated theater seats to support young artists. "That's just who Hal was, a generous man who freely gave his time, his talent, and his heart to the community," she wrote.
When the stage play transitioned to NBC in 1985, Gibbs said she specifically fought to give her character a husband - a decision that gave rise to Williams' role as Lester Jenkins opposite Gibbs and a young Regina King for five seasons. "Hal, Regina King, and I became a television family that showed the love, strength, and stability of a Black family," she said.
Williams' "227" castmate Jackée Harry also honored him this week, recalling his encouragement early in her career and calling him "a stand-up guy who believed Black fathers on TV should be loving, present, and compassionate."
Beyond the sitcom laughs, friends and colleagues describe a man whose loyalty carried well past the closing credits - a quiet reminder that the kind of steadfast friendship Scripture calls believers to (Proverbs 17:17) isn't confined to the page; sometimes it plays out in a decades-long phone call between "Mary and Lester."
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