Hal Williams had a pivotal position as Sgt. L.C. “Ted” Ross on the CBS sequence “Private Benjamin,” and he additionally appeared within the basic 1980 movie of the identical title starring Goldie Hawn. The three-season sitcom concluded its run in 1983, simply two years earlier than the late actor would star as beloved family patriarch Lester Jenkins on “227.”
In a 2024 interview with “The Waltons” star Judy Norton, Williams revealed that the movie’s casting crew “didn’t want to bring me in” to play the drill sergeant “but they brought me in” anyway. “Luckily, the day I came in for my audition, Goldie Hawn was there, and Goldie read with me,” he stated. “Goldie had on some slacks and a blouse and a big gold belt and we did the scene where I threw her off the bus.”
Williams famous that the forged and crew “spent eight wonderful, wonderful weeks in Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, California,” filming the film. “[I] just had a great time with Eileen and Goldie and everybody. … It was really the best fun I’ve had ever,” he added.
Williams brazenly mentioned his difficult expertise on the Private Benjamin sequence
Elsewhere in Hal Williams’ interview with Judy Norton, the “Sanford and Son” actor stated he did not completely get pleasure from engaged on the “Private Benjamin” sequence because of the modifications new producers desired to implement. “[It was] a lot of little things. …I was glad for the opportunity, and I made the best of it. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t nearly as great as the movie,” he shared.
Williams claimed that studio executives “came in and tried to change” and “diminish” his character. “They didn’t want me to be tight with Eileen [Brennan], who was a captain and defending Benjamin all the time. There was an episode that I almost got fired over because they wanted me to say some things that I had never done before,” he defined.
“One of the executives at Warner Bros. [said], ‘Hal, you’re gonna say that line.’ I say, ‘I’m not gonna say that line.’ Why would I? I’ve never talked to her that way,” he continued. “They call my agent. They threaten me with all kinds of stuff. They modified it somewhat, but they were ready to fire me over that because they didn’t want to listen to what the show had been up to that point.”
Afterward, he continued having a gentle performing profession till 2025, only one 12 months earlier than Hal Williams died in July 2026 at age 91.