Late actor Treat Williams is being recognized for one of his final on-screen roles. On July 17, exactly one year after his tragic death in June 2023, the Chicago Fire alum was honored with a posthumous Emmy nomination in the supporting actor in a limited or anthology series category for his performance in FX’s Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.
Based on the bestselling book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era, the series was the second installment of Ryan Murphy‘s Feud franchise and it told the true story of author Truman Capote’s feud with his New York socialite friends, the Swans.
Williams portrayed William S. Paley, a high-powered CBS executive and notorious womanizer, who was married to Naomi Watts’ Barbara “Babe” Paley. The cast was rounded out by Tom Hollander as Capote; Chloë Sevigny as C.Z. Guest; Diane Lane as Slim Keith; Calista Flockhart as Lee Radziwil; Molly Ringwald as Joanne Carson and Demi Moore as Ann Woodward.
While the show itself was not nominated for best limited or anthology series, several of Williams co-stars were nominated for awards, including Hollander, Watts and Lane. The Emmy nod is the late actor’s second, as he was previously nominated in the same category for his turn as Michael Ovitz in 1996’s The Late Shift. Also nominated in his category are Jonathan Bailey, Robert Downey Jr., Lewis Pullman, Lamorne Morris, John Hawkes and Tom Goodman-Hill.
Williams passed away at age 71 on June 12, 2023, after sustaining injuries and motorcycle accident. His death was confirmed to PEOPLE by his longtime agent Barry McPherson. “He was killed this afternoon. He was making a left or a right [and] a car cut him off,” McPherson told the outlet. “I’m just devastated. He was the nicest guy. He was so talented.” The agent continued: “He was an actor’s actor. Filmmakers loved him … 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.”
The actor had a long, storied career in Hollywood, first rising to fame in the ’70s for his roles in films like Hair, 1941 and Prince of the City. Chicago Fire fans know him best as Benny Severide, a former firefighter and the late father of Lieutenant Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney). In the most recent episode, the Season 12 finale, it was revealed that Benny had fathered another son, Jack Damon, who now works at Firehouse 51.
Following his death, Kinney paid tribute to his on-screen father in a touching statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with Treat’s family. He played my father on Chicago Fire, and was a father figure to everyone on set,” the actor said at the time. “I’ll always relish our conversations and his uncanny ability to light up a room. We all send love, he will be missed.”
Williams also had a recurring role on CBS’ Blue Bloods as Lenny Ross. His character’s storyline was closed out in a special Season 14 tribute episode, which saw Police Commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck) grapple with the loss of his close friend and help Lenny’s daughter Tess (Simone Policano) out of a legal bind.
The actor is survived by his wife, Pamela Van Sant, and their two children: son Gill Williams and daughter Elinor Williams. His daughter posted about his Emmy nomination on her Instagram Story, writing alongside a throwback photo from her childhood: “My DAD just got nominated for EMMYYY … Let’s f—ing gooooo!” Elinor also posted a black-and-white shot of Williams from his early acting days, captioned: “You should really be here for this 🤍 miss you pops so proud of you.”
