"Sons of Anarchy" star William Lucking has died at age 80.
The actor's wife, Sigrid Insull Lucking, confirmed the news Wednesday in an obituary that was posted on Facebook.
"Although William often played toughs and strongmen, in his actual life he was an elegant man with a brilliant intellect who loved to argue about politics and current affairs, discuss philosophy and physics, and assert fine-pointed opinions about art and poetry," she wrote. "He was a giant of a man with the soul of a poet."
Born in Michigan in 1941, William moved with his family to California in the early 1950s. He obtained a degree in literature from UCLA and went on to complete his studies in theater at the Pasadena Playhouse. William began his career with guest appearances in popular series throughout the 1960s and ‘70s with titles including "Mission: Impossible," "Ironside," "The Virginian," "The Partridge Family," and "Bonanza," according to Deadline.
In 1983, he landed a starring role as Army Col. Lynch in "The A-Team" and maintained the role until 1984, the New York Post reported. He also appeared in three episodes of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."
In 2008, he was cast in perhaps one of his most career-defining roles — as biker Piney Winston in "Sons of Anarchy." He played the character until the fourth season in 2011.
Taking to Facebook, William's friend of 46 years, Stephen Macht, recounted the day he met the actor.
"When I first met Bill in Hawaii on the set of 'The Big Hawaii' … I asked him 'Why did you become an actor⁉️' Bill’s answer, 'Some a**hole clapped!'" he wrote. "Bill transcended all the trappings of the ‘biz’ and reached a rare, splendid, powerful art of acting … and will forever live in my memory."
William is survived by his wife, two daughters, Marjet Lucking and Juliana Ryan, and their families. In the obituary, Williams' family requested that fans "toast his memory and celebrate his legacy."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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