William Smith, the film and television actor known for roles in Any Which Way You Can, Rich Man, Poor Man, and Red Dawn, has passed away. The Hollywood Reporter brings word that the 88-year-old actor died on Monday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills. Smith’s wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed the news to THR but did not provide a cause of death. Born in Missouri on March 24, 1933, Smith’s career on the big screen and in television stretches all the way back to the 1940s where he made uncredited appearances in films like Meet Me in St. Louis and even The Ghost of Frankenstein.
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A mountain of a man, Smith was notable for his physique and athletic abilities outside of his film career but also used those things to his advantage for his acting roles. Smith’s television career was expansive including appearances on a host of classic shows including The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Adam West’s Batman, The Virginian, Daniel Boone, Mod Squad, Mission: Impossible, The Six Million Dollar Man, Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, B.J. and the Bear, Fantasy Island, The Dukes of Hazard, CHiPs, T.J. Hooker, The A-Team, Murder, She Wrote, and Walker, Texas Ranger.
Fans of cult cinema may also be very familiar with Smith’s work on the big screen too including appearances in Invasion of the Bee Girls, Rumble Fish, Hell Comes to Frogtown, Maniac Cop, Action U.S.A., Terror in Beverly Hills, and Conan the Barbarian, where he played Conan’s father.
“It was a pleasure to work with Arnold,” Smith told BZFilm back in 2010. “We enjoyed each others sense of humor. The film, Conan the Barbarian; was the beginning of a big movie career for Arnold, which led to his governorship of California. In Arnold’s day, he had the best physic around. That he proved by his winning the Mr. Olympia contest numerous time. And of course it was great working with John Milius, who I worked with again on Red Dawn, as well as my friends and fellow cast members, Franco Columbu, Sven-Ole Thorsen and Ben Davidson.”
In the same interview Smith shouted out a stunt he did in Conan as one of the most difficult of his career, adding:
“One stunt that comes to mind is when I was attacked by the War Dogs in the film Conan the Barbarian. Even though I was heavily padded, I could feel the Rottweillers, starting to bite down thru the padding. Once the dogs got started they didn’t want to stop. It wasn’t easy for the trainers to call them off.”
Smith is survived by his wife and two children, William E. Smith III and Sherri Anne Cervelli.
We extend our sympathies and condolences to his family and friends during this time.
(Cover Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
