Van Williams was one of those actors who became forever associated with an unforgettable character. For millions of television viewers, his name will always bring to mind Britt Reid, the wealthy newspaper publisher who secretly became the masked crime fighter known as The Green Hornet.
Williams died on November 28, 2016, at the age of 82. With his passing, the world lost a familiar face from the golden era of American television and one of the last links to a remarkable period when television heroes captured the imagination of an entire generation.
Although his acting career eventually took him away from Hollywood, Van Williams lived a fascinating life both on and off the screen.
Early Life
Van Zandt Jarvis Williams was born on February 27, 1934, near Fort Worth, Texas.
Raised around ranch life, Williams developed a love of the outdoors at an early age. He attended Texas Christian University, where he studied animal husbandry and business. His early interests seemed far removed from the world of Hollywood.
His path to acting was an unusual one.
Williams eventually traveled to Hawaii, where he worked as a skin-diving instructor. His athletic appearance and natural presence caught the attention of people in the entertainment industry, and he was encouraged to consider a career in acting.
He eventually made his way to Hollywood and began building a career in television.
A Rising Television Star
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, television was rapidly becoming America’s favorite form of entertainment. Westerns, detective programs, adventure series and private-eye dramas filled the schedules of the major networks.
Williams fit naturally into this world.
He first gained significant attention playing private detective Kenny Madison in Bourbon Street Beat. When that series ended, the character continued in Surfside 6.
These early roles established Williams as a dependable television leading man. He possessed the handsome appearance, quiet confidence and physical presence that made him particularly effective in action and adventure programs.
But his most famous role was still ahead of him.
The Green Hornet
In 1966, Van Williams became Britt Reid, better known as The Green Hornet.
Britt Reid was a wealthy newspaper publisher who secretly operated as a masked crime fighter. At night, he transformed himself into the mysterious Green Hornet and fought criminals with the help of his trusted partner, Kato.
The television series was produced during the enormous popularity of Batman, but The Green Hornet had a very different tone.
Where Batman often embraced colorful humor and exaggerated comic-book action, The Green Hornet was presented as a more serious adventure series.
Williams played the title character with restraint and authority. He did not treat the Green Hornet as a joke. Instead, he gave the character a calm, determined quality that helped distinguish the series from other superhero programs of the period.
The show ran for only one season, with 26 episodes, but its influence lasted far longer.
Working With Bruce Lee
One of the most important parts of Van Williams’ legacy is his association with Bruce Lee.
Bruce Lee played Kato, the Green Hornet’s highly skilled partner. At the time, Lee was still largely unknown to American television audiences. His extraordinary martial-arts ability, speed and screen presence quickly made Kato one of the most memorable characters on the show.
The partnership between Williams and Lee became one of the most recognizable duos in 1960s television.
Williams provided the controlled, serious presence of the Green Hornet, while Lee brought energy and martial-arts brilliance to Kato.
Their scenes together remain among the most memorable moments in the history of classic superhero television.
The show also introduced viewers to another famous element of the Green Hornet mythology: Black Beauty, the heavily customized car used by the crime-fighting duo.
For young viewers of the 1960s, the combination of the masked hero, Black Beauty and Kato made The Green Hornet something special.
A Career Beyond The Green Hornet
Although The Green Hornet became his defining role, Williams’ career extended well beyond the series.
He appeared in numerous popular television programs throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, Batman, Gunsmoke, Ironside, Mission: Impossible, Barnaby Jones and The Rockford Files.
His appearances in Western and adventure television also made him familiar to viewers who enjoyed the classic programs of that era.
Williams belonged to a generation of actors who could move easily between different kinds of television roles. Detective stories, Westerns, crime dramas and adventure programs were all part of the television landscape in which he worked.
He was a versatile performer, even though one particular character would ultimately overshadow much of his career.
Leaving Hollywood
Perhaps one of the most interesting things about Van Williams was that he did not spend his entire life pursuing Hollywood fame.
Eventually, he became dissatisfied with the entertainment business and chose to step away from acting.
Unlike many performers who remained closely tied to Hollywood throughout their lives, Williams found fulfillment in other pursuits.
His decision to leave the spotlight reflected the personality of a man who had never seemed completely comfortable with celebrity culture.
He had entered Hollywood almost unexpectedly, achieved television fame and then eventually decided that there were other things he wanted to do.
A Real-Life Hero
Williams’ life after acting was particularly remarkable.
He became a reserve deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and became involved in community service. He also worked with mountain rescue and volunteered as a firefighter.
There was something fitting about this second chapter of his life.
On television, Van Williams had portrayed a masked hero who fought crime and protected people.
Away from television, he became involved in real-world service and rescue work.
The Green Hornet was fictional.
The desire to help others was not.
Williams also became involved in business and spent much of his later life enjoying a quieter existence away from the Hollywood spotlight.
Returning to The Green Hornet
Even after leaving acting, Williams remained connected to the role that had made him famous.
In 1993, he appeared in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, a film about Bruce Lee’s life. His appearance provided a memorable connection to the television series that had brought the two performers together decades earlier.
By then, Bruce Lee had become an international icon, and The Green Hornet had acquired a special place in television history.
Williams’ connection to the character remained strong even though he had long since moved on to other parts of his life.
The Legacy of Van Williams
Van Williams’ career is a reminder that an actor’s legacy is not always measured by the length of a television series.
The Green Hornet lasted just one season.
Yet the character survived.
The series continued to be remembered through reruns, home video and generations of fans. Bruce Lee’s enormous international legacy also helped keep the program in the public consciousness.
And every time viewers returned to those episodes, Van Williams was there.
As Britt Reid.
As the Green Hornet.
Behind the mask, however, was a man whose life was much broader than his most famous role.
He was a Texan.
He was an outdoorsman.
He was a television actor.
He was a businessman.
He was a reserve deputy.
He was involved in firefighting and rescue work.
And he was a husband and father who eventually chose a quieter life away from the pressures of Hollywood.
Remembering a Classic Television Star
Van Williams died in Scottsdale, Arizona, on November 28, 2016. He was 82 years old.
For fans of classic television, his passing marked the loss of another performer from an extraordinary generation of actors.
Today, his work remains a part of television history.
When people remember The Green Hornet, they remember the distinctive opening, the mysterious Black Beauty, the remarkable martial arts of Bruce Lee and the adventures of Britt Reid.
And at the center of it all was Van Williams.
His portrayal was serious, confident and understated. He gave the Green Hornet an identity that remains recognizable more than half a century later.
Perhaps that is the greatest tribute an actor can receive.
The show ended.
The years passed.
The actor moved on.
But the character remained.
And so did the memories.
Van Williams may have played a masked hero on television, but his real-life story was equally remarkable. He found fame, walked away from it and devoted himself to a life that included service, adventure and family.
For those who grew up watching him, he will always be remembered with affection.
For younger generations discovering classic television today, his work offers a glimpse into a very different era of entertainment.
And for fans of The Green Hornet, there will always be only one Britt Reid.
Van Williams.
Rest in peace to a true classic television star.
Your time as The Green Hornet may have lasted only one season, but the memory of your performance has lasted for generations.
