Samm-Art ("Bunny") Williams

Samm-Art Williams—actor, director, and Tony-nominated playwright of Home—died peacefully in Burgaw, North Carolina, on the morning of May 13. He was 78 years old.

 Mr. Williams' passing comes just days before the Broadway revival of Home begins previews (produced by Roundabout Theatre Company). The first performance is set for May 17 before a June 5 opening night.  

Bunny as he was known in the Burgaw community was born on January 20, 1946, to Samuel and Valdosia Williams in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Burgaw and graduated from C.F. Pope High School. He went on to study political science and psychology at Morgan State University. After graduating, Mr. Williams moved to Philadelphia and began acting with the Freedom Theatre. He later moved to New York to pursue writing and worked as an actor and playwright with the Negro Ensemble Company. In addition to Home, Mr. Williams' plays include Welcome to Black River, Friends, The Waiting Room, and more. Mr. Williams' most well-known work, was originally produced by the Negro Ensemble Company Off-Broadway. The subsequent Broadway transfer opened on May 7, 1980, and closed on January 4, 1981. Home received numerous accolades, including Tony nominations for Best Play and Best Actor for Charles Brown, an Outer Critics Circle Award, an NAACP Image Award, and the North Carolina Governor's Award. Mr. Williams also worked in film and TV, with acting credits including Cook and Peary: The Race to the Pole and the 1986 film adaptation of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He was an executive producer, story editor, and writer on several TV shows, including Frank's Place (which earned him an Emmy nomination), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Martin. He has received the Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Playwriting, and is an inductee in the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame.

"Mr. Williams’ contributions to American theatre and television will live on but he will be greatly missed."

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