The Heartbreaking Death Of Sons Of Anarchy Star William Lucking

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, November 2, it was confirmed that actor William Lucking, who portrayed old-school biker Piermont "Piney" Winston on the FX television series "Sons of Anarchy," had died at the age of 80. According to the post, which was distributed by fellow actor and friend Stephen Macht, Lucking died on October 18 in his Las Vegas home. Throughout his four-season run between 2008 and 2011, he became a beloved fixture on "Sons of Anarchy" as the aging founding member of SAMCRO and father of Harry "Opie" Winston, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Prior to his appearance on "Sons of Anarchy," Lucking portrayed Army Colonel Lynch on "The A-Team" in the early 1980s and the memorable Bajoran Furel on three episodes of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" in the '90s, per The Hollywood Reporter. Throughout his nearly five-decade career, Lucking also appeared in "Oklahoma Crude," "The River Wild," and "Erin Brockovich," among other TV shows and films.

Lucking's "Sons of Anarchy" co-stars have already posted thoughtful tributes about the late actor. "RIP sir," Kristen Renton, who portrayed Ima Tite on "Sons of Anarchy," tweeted. "It was such an honor to work with you on ⁦@SonsofAnarchy. You had a presence unlike any other. You will truly be missed." 

Kim Coates, the actor behind Tig Trager on "Sons of Anarchy," tweeted a tribute of her own. "Never ever gonna forget this guy. Billy broke the mold of pretty much everything he did and accomplished. The times we all had on set are legendary... just like Piney," she wrote. "Miss you brother. RIP." 

In the obituary distributed by Stephen Macht's Facebook account, William Lucking's second wife, Sigrid Lucking, wrote about his softer side. "Although William often played toughs and strongmen, in his actual life he was an elegant man with a brilliant intellect who loved to argue about politics and current affairs, discuss philosophy and physics and assert fine-pointed opinions about art and poetry," she wrote. "He was a giant of a man with the soul of a poet. One who 'contained...a tension of sorts within his being...like a boulder teetering on a hill...or a balloon expanding towards its extreme,' as one friend put it."

In a comment on the Facebook post, Macht, who met Lucking on the set of the 1977 NBC series "Big Hawaii," recounted a time in which Lucking revealed why he chose acting as a profession. "'Why did you become an actor!?' Bill's answer, 'Some a***** clapped!'" Macht recalled, adding, "Bill transcended all the trappings of the 'biz' and reached a rare, splendid, powerful art of acting and will forever live in my memory."

Lucking will not only be missed by family and friends but also by the many fans he's made throughout his long career.