Ed Williams, who came into fame later in life after a teaching career, has passed away.

As a child, Williams listened intently to radio dramas like The Lone Ranger. Later, he acted in radio dramas himself produced by Lillian Fontaine. He also worked as a salesman for KSJO radio, where he created and produced his own sound effects to display to clients.

In 1955, he took a position with The Don Martin School of Radio and Television Arts and Sciences, teaching subjects like "Top 40 Disc Jockeying" to students such as "Real" Don Steele, who would go on to become a popular radio DJ.

He later moved to L.A. City College, teaching broadcasting, and stopped auditioning for projects for over twenty years. "I do not approve of professors that go out and moonlight and make a lot of money on the side and neglect their classes," Williams said.

It wasn't until the 1970s, when his teaching schedule became light enough that his classes wouldn't suffer, that he began taking acting classes and auditioning again. After appearing onstage once more, he landed his first — and most famous — onscreen role: lab scientist Ted Olson in the David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker (ZAZ, known for their previous hit, Airplane!) project Police Squad!

The show only ran six episodes, and Williams appeared in all of them. However, they were followed by the critically successful Naked Gun movie series. Williams reprised his role in all three Leslie Nielsen-helmed films: The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988), The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991), and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994). He and Neilsen were the only two actors to appear in all three.

In 2025, a legacy Naked Gun sequel was released starring Liam Neeson as the son of Leslie Nielsen's Frank Drebin; it was a critical and financial success.

Williams officially retired from teaching in 1989 and continued acting well into his 90s, appearing as a reverend in Father of the Bride and turning up on TV shows like House, Cheers, Matlock, and Father Dowling Mysteries. 

The actor and teacher was 98 years old.