Dolly Parton has turned to Instagram to honor actor Treat Williams, who died at 71 this past Monday (June 12) after a motorcycle accident. Parton starred opposite Williams in Netflix’s 2020 holiday drama film, Christmas on the Square, which she also wrote the soundtrack for.
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Parton wrote a heartfelt tribute to her former co-star that reads, “I was very sad to hear that Treat Williams had passed away. I’ve always been a fan and I had the wonderful opportunity of working with him on Christmas on the Square a few years back.”
The post continues, “I’ve never known a kinder, sweeter, more talented person in my life. I just wanted to send my condolences to his family and just to know that we’ll always remember the great body of work he left behind.”
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Williams agent, Barry McPherson, broke the unfortunate news to People late Monday evening. McPherson’s statement reads, “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 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.”
In Christmas on the Square, which is a take on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Parton played an angel while Williams played townsperson Carl Pellam. The soundtrack for the film featured 14 original songs by Parton.
An official synopsis for Christmas On The Square states that the film “follows small town ‘Scrooge’ Regina Fuller (Christine Baranski) as she’s visited by a rhinestone-bedazzled angel (Dolly) who guides her on a musical journey of redemption. Will this stingy property owner evict the entire town of Fullerville on Christmas Eve, or will her greed give way to the Christmas spirit?”
In addition to Christmas on the Square, Williams starred in several modern films like Run Hide Fight and 12 Mighty Orphans. Williams also appeared in the CBS series Blue Bloods. Williams was most well-known throughout his career for Hair and 1941, as well as The WB series, Everwood.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for ACM
