Hal Williams' Hit '80s Sitcom Launched Watchmen Star Regina King's Career

At one point during his legendary TV career, Hal Williams co-starred with Regina King in her Hollywood breakthrough role. Williams passed away at the age of 91 in July 2026, prompting many memories of his greatest projects and performances. Before King starred in HBO's "Watchmen" and appeared in other acclaimed shows like "The Leftovers" and "American Crime," she appeared on the sitcom "227" alongside Williams.

Set in 1980s Washington D.C., "227" detailed the lives of ordinary people living in a middle-class apartment building numbered 227. The show featured King as Brenda Jenkins, marking her first recurring TV role. A central character and the teenage daughter of Williams' Lester Jenkins and Marla Gibbs' Mary Jenkins, King's Brenda took part in almost every episode of "227." The series aired five seasons from 1985 to 1990 on NBC and garnered significant praise for its authentic portrayal of Black American families.

King has mostly shown up in movies since her days on "227," but has occasionally returned to her TV roots. Her most recent lead TV role as Angela Abar, aka Sister Night, in "Watchmen" won her the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or movie in 2020. 

Now a winner of four Emmys and one Oscar in total, King still values the experience she had as a child star growing up in front of the camera on "227." In a 2019 interview with the Seattle Times, the actress shared how the sitcom impacted the beginning of her acting career. "'227' was priceless for me. It was my foundation. I would not be here without it," she said. "Just being with Marla Gibbs, Hal Williams, Alaina Reed, Jackée [Harry] — it was school."

As Hollywood honors Williams following his death, King took the opportunity to express her gratitude for the relationship of care and trust she built with her TV dad on "227" decades ago. "From the time I was young, he gave me a sense of safety that extended far beyond the work we did together," King wrote on her Instagram page last week. "On a set where there could be so much noise, gossip and politicking, he sheltered me from much of it. He created a space where I could simply be young, feel cared for and do my work."

Now thirty-six years after "227" completed its run on the air, the show is currently available to stream for free on Pluto TV and Tubi.