Chicago Fire, Blue Bloods actor Treat Williams dead at 71

Some absolutely sad and stunning news was announced tonight — Treat Williams, an actor known for Blue Bloods and so much more, has died. He was 71 years old.

According to a report from People Magazine, the actor passed away following a motorcycle accident in Vermont. Here is what his agent, Barry McPherson, told the aforementioned website:

“He was killed this afternoon. He was making a left or a right [and] a car cut him off. I’m just devastated. He was the nicest guy. He was so talented.

“He was an actor’s actor. Filmmakers loved him. He’s been the heart of the Hollywood since the late 1970s … He was really proud of his performance this year. He’s been so happy with the work that I got him. He’s had a balanced career.”

Williams has been known for so many things over the years that it is hard to say he was iconic to any one show. He was a staple at the heart of Everwood, a show that had a really devoted following and launched many careers. Meanwhile, he was recently a series regular on Chesapeake Shores, which aired for many years on Hallmark Channel. We knew him for some time as Kelly Severide’s father on Chicago Fire and earlier this year, he returned to Blue Bloods as Frank’s longtime friend and former partner Lenny Ross.

This news may be even harder to process simply because just earlier today, Williams was active on social media. He’d always been someone to celebrate nature and the world around him, and had no problem sharing that with many of his fans and followers all over the world.

Perhaps more than any particular role, we’ll think of him as a source of comfort — after all, there are a number of roles of his that we associate with a smile. He often gave fatherly wisdom or did something to help someone else on-screen. We like to think that this was reflective of the man that he was away from the camera, as well.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to Williams’ family during this difficult time.

(Photo: NBC.)