Blue Bloods pays tribute to late actor Treat Williams nine months after his death… after writing off his role as Lenny on the show
Fans of the cop show Blue Bloods got closure for Treat Williams’ character Lenny Ross, after playing the role since season seven in 2016.
The late actor, who tragically died in a motorcycle accident in Vermont last summer, starred Tom Selleck’s character Frank’s old partner and old friend.
During the March 1 series finale of the CBS series, Fear No Evil, it was revealed how Williams’ role of Lenny was written off the show.
After previously revealing in a season 13 episode that he had been diagnosed with cancer, the producers and writers ultimately followed that storyline by having his character die from the disease.
On Friday night’s show, Frank visits Lenny’s daughter at work, and the two talk about her funeral plans for her father.
The late Treat Williams was honored on Friday’s episode of Blue Bloods, a show on which the actor had a recurring role as Lenny Ross since 2016; he is pictured in October 2019
“Listen, I’m working on my eulogy. If there’s anything special I need to say, please report it to Detective Baker,” Franks tells Carrie.
She then asks, “Are they going to shoot guns or something?” in a reference to the funeral plans.
‘No. No. But he will get a guard of honor,” Frank responds.
‘Bagpipes? He hated bagpipes,” she says.
‘Yes, but he loved the old dogs that burst into tears. That’s what bagpipes do,” Frank replies. He then invites her to his family dinner, where he pays tribute to his late friend and colleague.
“There is also someone who has eaten here with us in recent years, but who will not return,” Frank said during dinner. “Lenny Ross was my oldest friend, my closest confidant, my getaway driver. And I lost him this week. And it hurts like hell. But Lenny would hate it if we got tearful and quiet and sad, so Lenny: We’ll miss you. And save a place at your table for me, and ‘I’ll see you later’.
The episode ends with a personal tribute to Treat Williams.
“In memory of our great friend, Treat Williams 1951-2023,” it read, along with a photo of the actor, husband and father of two posing with Tom Selleck.
Williams’ character Lenny Ross, a longtime friend and partner of Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck), was written off the show in Friday’s episode of Fear No Evil by dying of cancer
Selleck’s character Frank meets with Lenny’s daughter Carrie to discuss funeral plans
Williams saw his star power rise with his role in the crime drama film Prince Of The City (1981)
Williams died on June 12, 2023 after being involved in a crash in Dorset, Vermont, when a 35-year-old man behind the wheel of a Honda Element veered into the path of his motorcycle and collided.
He was airlifted to Albany Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at the age of 71. The cause of death was deemed “severe trauma and blood loss as a result of the crash,” according to the medical examiner.
The man driving the Honda was charged with “gross negligence causing death.”
Williams rose to fame with leading roles in Milos Forman’s film version of the musical Hair and in Steven Spielberg’s historical comedy 1941, both released in 1979.
He subsequently starred in films such as Prince Of The City (1981), Once Upon A Time In America (1984), Flashpoint (1984), Smooth Talk (1985), Dead Heat (1988), The Phantom (1996), The Devil’s Own (1997), Deep Rising (1998), the Substitute franchise (1998-2001), The Deep End Of The Ocean (1999), Miss Congeniality 2 (2005), 127 Hours (2010), as well as the Hallmark series Chesapeake Shores ( 2016-2022).