The world lost another great actor as Clarence Williams III breathed his last on June 4th, 2021. The legendary performer passed away at 81. Remembered for his portrayal of Linc Hayes in ABC’S crime drama series “The MOD Squad,” the artist has several iconic roles to his credit.Clarence was born in New York to Clarence Williams Jr and Eva Taylor. His father was a musician, while his mother was an actress and singer. The “Purple Rain” star began his career on stage with the 1960 Broadway drama “The Long Dream.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by ABC News (@abcnews)Clarence Williams has been associated with the entertainment industry for nearly five decades. He was an actor of profound caliber and immense versatility. In an interview from the late 90s, the African-American star shared that he felt nice to be recognized for his works.“All most people know about me is the two hours they’ve invested in a movie theater or the time spent in front of their TV. There’s so much entertainment out there right now, and it’s difficult to break through and become part of the national consciousness. It’s nice to be recognized, and I have no problem with it at all.”Also read: Lil Loaded passes away at 20: Rapper’s heartbreaking last Instagram story leaves fans emotionalNotable works of Clarence Williams IIIClarence spent a significant part of his career as a theater artist. His most memorable Broadway roles include William Hanley’s “Slow Dance on the Killing Ground” and Tom Stoppard’s “Night and Day.” He appeared opposite Maggie Smith in the latter while the former earned him a Tony nomination.After his breakout performance in “The MOD Squad,” Clarence Williams bagged prominent roles in television and films. His notable film roles include “The Purple Rain,” “Half Baked,” “Reindeer Games,” “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” “Deep Cover,” “Sugar Hill,” “52 Pick-Up,” “The General’s Daughter” and “Tales from the Hood,” among others.He also took up several television roles throughout his career, the most noteworthy being “Twin Peaks,” “Miami Vice,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” and “Law and Order,” to name a few.Also read: Top 5 Karl Jacobs momentsReason behind Clarence Williams III’s passingHe died aged 81 after a struggle with colon cancer. On Sunday, June 6th, 2021, his manager, Allan Mindel, announced the news of his passing. Clarence Williams passed away at his home in Los Angeles.After the news of the octogenarian’s demise, his colleagues and fans poured in tributes on social media to commemorate his impactful roles and powerful performances.When I was a kid growing up in NYC Clarence Williams III was a face on TV that I identified with and that inspired me. From the Mod Squad, to Purple Rain and Sugar Hill, he always performed with dynamic energy. Rest in power, king ✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/GIZLSjp4uV— Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) June 6, 2021Rest in honor, Clarence Williams III. In addition to iconic roles in The Mod Squad and Twin Peaks, Clarence will forever be remembered for his gripping performance as The Kid's father, Francis L., in Prince's breakthrough film Purple Rain. #ClarenceWilliamsIII pic.twitter.com/8uleEvHbWz— Prince (@prince) June 7, 2021So sad to hear about the passing of the wonderful actor #ClarenceWilliamsIII Working with him on Mystery Woman was an honor. Rest In Peace, my friend. pic.twitter.com/Kl5W47uX2m— Kellie Martin (@Kellie_Martin) June 6, 2021My sadness at the passing of Clarence Williams III cannot be overstated. His artistry and sheer coolness was extraordinary. I will forever be in his debt for his brilliant performance in Tales From the Hood. Loved working with him! Blessed travels good sir! pic.twitter.com/xRj6JlY5aX— Rusty Cundieff (@RustyCundieff) June 6, 2021RIP to the talented Clarence Williams III. I’ll always hold his performance in Tales from the Hood close to my heart. It’s such an underrated iconic classic and “This ain’t no funeral home!” will continue to live in my head rent free. pic.twitter.com/3BadyeMxlR— Real Queen of Horror (@LovelyZena) June 6, 2021R.I.P. to Icon Clarence Williams III. We hope that your transition was peaceful and you knew how much you were loved, appreciated, and respected. pic.twitter.com/5qEXAFjZ2e— ScreamReapers (@ScreamReapers) June 6, 2021An extraordinary actor. Revolutionary. Ahead of his time. What an honor to work with this man on THE BUTLER. Rest in Power. #ClarenceWilliamsIII pic.twitter.com/EqsunpqrRl— Lee Daniels (@leedanielsent) June 7, 2021Rest In Peace to the great #ClarenceWilliamsIII , a truly wonderful actor who I will always remember lovingly as Special Agent Roger Hardy in #TwinPeaks , Mr. Simms in #TalesFromTheHood and Bumpy Johnson in American Gangster 👼 🥺🖤🎥 safe travels sir 😓❤️ #FilmTwitter pic.twitter.com/xlCZnmiQpY— Nathaniel (@NathanielPNW) June 6, 2021I got to work with Clarence Williams III on my second TV movie, THE LOVE BUG, back in 1995. I had grown up watching him as Linc in THE MOD SQUAD and thought he was the epitome of cool. Turns out he was. Rest In Peace, Clarence. pic.twitter.com/PadZZlTzKJ— Peyton Reed (@MrPeytonReed) June 6, 2021Clarence leaves behind his daughter, Jamey Philips, sister Sondra Pugh, niece Suyin Shaw, grandniece Azaria Verdin, and grandnephews Elliot Shaw and Ese Shaw.Also read: "It causes harm to the people I care about": Henry Cavill urges fans to stop gossiping about his personal lifeHelp Sportskeeda improve its coverage of pop culture news. Take the 3-minute survey now,