Clarence Williams III  (August 21, 1939 – June 4, 2021) [2]  was an American actor, best known for playing the character "Linc Hayes" in the "hippie" cop show  The Mod Squad  from 1968 to 1973. He also appeared prominently in films such as  Purple Rain ,  52 Pick-Up ,  Tales from the Hood ,  Half Baked  and  Reindeer Games , and had a recurring role on Season 2 of  Twin Peaks .