Everwood and Hair star Treat Williams dies in road accident

"I'm just devastated. He was the nicest guy. He was so talented," agent Barry McPherson said.

"He was an actor’s actor. Filmmakers loved him. He's been the heart of Hollywood since the late 1970s."

The actor was reported to be the only injured party in the crash and was airlifted to hospital with critical injuries but pronounced dead on arrival.

"As you can imagine, we are shocked and greatly bereaved at this time," a family statement published by Variety magazine read.

"Treat was full of love for his family, for his life and for his craft, and was truly at the top of his game in all of it."

Williams enjoyed a successful career spanning almost 50 years, and had more than 130 screen credits to his name.

He starred on stage as Danny Zuko in the original theatre version of Grease and in Stephen Sondheim’s Follies, before going on to land the role of George Berger in the film version of the musical Hair in 1979.

The actor then went on to bag roles in Stephen Spielberg’s 1941, before Once Upon a Time in America and Dead Heat in the 1980s.

He also starred in Deep Rising and Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead in the late 1990s.

Williams also appeared in dozens of TV shows over the course of his career including Blue Bloods, Chicago Fire and The Simpsons.

However, he remains perhaps best known for his role in US TV drama Everwood, which ran for four seasons between 2002 and 2006.

Williams portrayed main character Dr Andrew Brown, a widowed brain surgeon from Manhattan.

More recently, the actor was a series regular for the full six-season run of Hallmark Channel’s Chesapeake Shores.

Tributes have been flooding in for Williams following the news of his tragic death.

The veteran actor was remembered by Emily VanCamp, who starred opposite the actor on Everwood.

“The many times we worked together- always wonderful and I was always excited for the next time,” VanCamp wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the late actor. “Sending all my love to your family, Treat. Fly high my friend.”

Mark Hamill, who worked with Williams when he was an uncredited extra in The Empire Strikes Back, wrote: “Such a wonderful person… such a gifted actor… such a treasured friend. I’m gutted.”

Kim Cattrall shared a photo of the late actor, describing him as “a wonderful actor and friend”.

Meanwhile, Justine Bateman penned: “Working with Treat Williams in Mamet’s ‘Speed the Plow’ at Williamstown in ‘91 was the start of great friendship. Damn it, damn it. Treat, you were the best.”

The actor is survived by his wife of 35 years Pam Van Sant and their two children.