‘Sons of Anarchy’: Ryan Hurst Mourns On-Screen Dad William Lucking

Sons of Anarchy actor Ryan Hurst mourned the death of his on-screen father, William Lucking. The veteran character actor died on Oct. 18 at 80, although his death was not reported until Nov. 4. Lucking starred in several episodes of Sons of Anarchy as Piney Winston between 2008 and 2011. He had over 100 acting credits to his name and made his final appearance in two episodes of TNT’s Murder in the First in 2014.

“A friend, a saint, a savage and elegant rarified soul. Beyond Grateful for our time together…as your brother and Son,” Hurst wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of Lucking. “Bill was a spiritual pillar, an artistic warrior. An example of fortitude. In more ways than I can put into words adequately. Travel in Love, Old Man.”

Hust starred in the first five seasons of Sons of Anarchy as Opie Winston, Piney’s son. Piney was a founding member of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club and a close friend of John Teller, the father of Charlie Hunnam’s Jax Teller. Sons of Anarchy was created by Kurt Sutter, who paid tribute to Lucking by sharing a description of Piney, noting that Lucking was the only actor who could play the character. “From the original pilot. Thank you Bill for filling those boots,” Sutter wrote.

Lucking died at his home in Las Vegas, his agent confirmed to Deadline. No cause of death was revealed. “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,” Lucking’s wife, Sigrid Lucking, wrote in an obituary. Lucking is also survived by their two daughters, Marjet Lucking and Juliana Ryan, and their families.

The actor was born on June 17, 1941, in Michigan and his family moved to California during the 1950s. He earned a degree in literature from UCLA and studied theater at the Pasadena Playhouse. He made his television debut in 1968 episodes of Ironside and Mission: Impossible. Lucking made appearances in dozens of shows, including M*A*S*H, CHiPS, The Waltons, Kojak, Gunsmoke, The Patridge Family, Bonanza, SWAT, Big Hawaii, Days of Our Lives, Shannon, and The A-Team. Aside from Sons of Anarchy, some of his more recent credits included Contraband, Slipstream, The Mentalist, Star Trek: Enterprise, Switched at Birth, and Cold Case.

“Never ever gonna forget this guy,” Sons of Anarchy actor Kim Coates tweeted. “Billy broke the mold of pretty much everything he did and accomplished. The times we all had on set are legendary… just like Piney … Miss you brother. RIP.”