‘Will & Grace’ Star Charles C. Stevenson Passes Away at 95, Known for ‘Ghost World’

Charles C. Stevenson Jr., renowned for his role as the bartender Smitty on Will & Grace, has passed away at the age of 95.

Stevenson, whose acting career included appearances on The Office, Shameless, and Glee among numerous other shows, died of natural causes on January 19 in Camarillo, California, according to his son Scott, who spoke to Variety.

Scott shared that his father often joked about his acting roles, saying, “His own description of his career was ‘marrying or burying people.’” He recounted how directors frequently relied on him to ad-lib during scenes, particularly to bridge gaps in dialogue from the beginning to the end of a scene. Stevenson himself believed he had become quite adept at this improvisation.

Born in Piedmont, California, Stevenson served in the Navy during the Korean War and later studied English at UC Berkeley. He ventured into acting in his 50s after relocating to Los Angeles for a public service job.

Stevenson made his television debut in a 1982 episode of NBC’s Voyagers! and subsequently appeared in a variety of well-known TV shows including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Dynasty, LA Law, Cheers, Knots Landing, Designing Women, Matlock, Murder She Wrote, Sister Sister, Family Matters, Melrose Place, Boy Meets World, ER, Charmed, Scrubs, Gilmore Girls, House, Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and many more.

In addition to his television roles, Stevenson also featured in films such as The Naked Gun (1988), Ed Wood (1994), Men in Black (1997), Pleasantville (1998), Ghost World (2001), and many others.