William Herman Katt, professionally known as Bill Williams, was a renowned American television and film actor, born Herman August Wilhelm Katt on May 15, 1915, in Brooklyn, New York, to German immigrant parents. He attended the prestigious Pratt Institute and initially pursued a career as a professional swimmer, performing in underwater shows. Williams' early start in the entertainment industry began with a walk-on role as a theater usher in the classic film King Kong (1933).
During World War II, Williams enlisted in the United States Army but was discharged before the end of the war and subsequently became an actor. His credited debut came in the 1944 film The Blue Room, under the professional name Bill Williams. He then appeared in ten films before landing his first starring role opposite Susan Hayward in Deadline at Dawn (1946).
Williams' breakthrough came with his starring role in the early television series The Adventures of Kit Carson, which aired from 1951 to 1955. When the series concluded, his star power waned, but it was revived in 1957 when he co-starred with Betty White on the television show Date with the Angels. He then portrayed Federal agent Martin Flaherty in The Scarface Mob (1959),the pilot for ABC's The Untouchables, although the role ultimately went to Jerry Paris.
Williams turned down the lead in Sea Hunt in 1958, believing an underwater show would not succeed on television. Lloyd Bridges accepted the part and transformed it into a hit. Instead, Williams starred as a former Navy frogman in Assignment: Underwater, which ran for just one season. He continued to play a variety of roles on Perry Mason, alongside his wife Barbara Hale, who co-starred as Raymond Burr's secretary Della Street. Notable appearances on the show included playing defendant Mike Preston in the 1962 episode "The Case of the Crippled Cougar," murder victim Floyd Grant in "The Case of the Bluffing Blast" (1963),murderer Charles Shaw in "The Case of the Murderous Mermaid" (1965),and murderer Burt Payne in "The Case of the 12th Wildcat" (1965).
Williams reunited with Raymond Burr on the television series Ironside, appearing with his son in a final season episode. He continued to make numerous guest appearances on television and worked in low-budget science fiction films until his retirement.
