William Lucking, Sons of Anarchy actor, dies at 80

The beloved costar played OG biker Piney Winston, father of Opie, on the FX drama.

By
Lynette Rice
Lynette Rice
Lynette Rice

Editor at Large for Entertainment Weekly, host of Outlander Live! on EW Radio, and Mark Harmon enthusiast. Yes, I know the guacamole is extra.

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Published on November 4, 2021 02:44PM EDT

William Lucking, the actor best known for playing old-school biker Piney Winston on FX's Sons of Anarchy, has died. He was 80. A cause of death hasn't been disclosed at this time.

His Oct. 18 death in Las Vegas was announced by his longtime friend Stephen Macht on Facebook. Pals for 46 years, Macht called Lucking a "lion, and his memory will always be a blessing."

William Lucking
William Lucking dies at 80. Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Born in Michigan in 1941, Lucking graduated from UCLA with a degree in literature and studied theater at the Pasadena Playhouse. His long career in Hollywood began with small parts on TV shows like Ironside, Mission Impossible, Lancer, The Virginian, and The Partridge Family. His first major motion picture was Oklahoma Crude opposite George C. Scott and Faye Dunaway in 1976.

He stayed busy with TV gigs — he was the original Colonel in NBC's The A-Team and played the green Bajoran on Star Trek Deep Space 9 — but he found a new community of fans with his role as an old biker on Sons of Anarchy. He was the oldest living member of the motorcycle club, needed an oxygen tank to survive, and was father to Opie, played by Ryan Hurst. His death at the hands of Clay (Ron Perlman) was one of the most tragic moments of the series.

"Never ever gonna forget this guy," tweeted Kim Coates, who played Tig Trager in SOA. "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."

SONS OF ANARCHY
William Lucking on FX's "Son of Anarchy.". Everett Collection

"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," according to the obit posted by Macht. "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."

Lucking is survived by his wife of 25 years, Sigrid Insull Lucking, a former costume designer, and two daughters. The family asked that fans toast to his memory.

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