", CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER, He would also play Arnold Schwarzenegger's father in 1982's "Conan the Barbarian," after being considered for the title role, and a Soviet general in 1984's "Red Dawn.". How did William Smith die? Named 2017's Obituary Writer of the Year by the Society of Professional Obituary Writers. He has 274 credited acting roles on the IMDB database spanning almost 80 years and 30 credits for stunt work during a period of 33 years. Actor William Smith, who was famous for starring in television shows like 'Hawaii Five-O' and 'Laredo', has died. Hes definitely tough as nails but he had the heart of a poet, she said. ", Laredo star William Smith died on Monday at the age of 88. Hollywood actor William Smith, who has played the roles of bikers, brawlers, cowboys and tough guys in films and television shows like 'Laredo', 'Rich Man, Poor Man' and 'Any Which Way You Can' has died at the age of 88. Here are three cold hard facts about William Smith. LOS ANGELES (AP) _ John Smith, who changed his name from Robert Earl Van Orden as a joke, then gained starring roles in the TV westerns ``Laramie and ``Cimarron City, has died at age 63. He left tinsel town for a bit when he enlisted in the Army to fight in the Korean War. pg.acq.push(function() { The Tragic Death Of Action Star William Smith. [1], Smith died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Los Angeles, on July 5, 2021, at the age of 88. hitType: 'event', Smith, whose acting career peaked in the late 1950s, died at his home here on Jan. 25 of what was probably a combination of cirrhosis and heart problems . One of the great ones. A fan tweeted: "I'll never forget that fearsome brawl between Rod Taylor and William Smith in Darker than Amber. [citation needed] Smith held a 311 record as an amateur boxer. In Rich Man, Poor Man, he played the dangerous and eccentric character Anthony Falconetti, which he would later reprise in a follow-up to the series, Rich Man, Poor Man Book II.. In 1983, Smith appeared in two films from Francis Ford Coppola, in The Outsiders as a store clerk and in Rumble Fish as a police officer. William Smith, the action star who tussled with Clint Eastwood in Any Which Way You Can, made a lasting impression as the evil Falconetti on TV miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man and was a regular on . A legend. Smith left Hollywood for a while when he enlisted in the Army to fight in the Korean War, during which he served as a Russian Intercept Interrogator and flew secret ferret missions over the Russian SFSR. Both walked away with broken bones. With his chiseled . Actor William Smith, known for playing bikers, cowboys and brawlers in a series of television shows and hit movies, has died. He was 88. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. But in an earlier starring role, Texas Ranger Joe Riley on the popular TV show Laredo, Smith was a good guy known for his strength. He was reportedly also fluent in French, German and Serbo-Croatian.[3]. He was 88. He died. William Smith is just that. Later, he joined the cast of "Hawaii Five-O" in its final season as Detective James "Kimo" Carew. The place to find Mr. Smith, even as an older man, was the gym, Ms. Smith said. However, his first role was an uncredited one where he played a village boy in "The Ghost of Frankenstein" in 1942. She did not reveal the cause of his death. In addition to wife Joanne, Smith leaves behind a daughter, Sherri, and a son,William III. "It has to be one of the longest two-man fights ever done on film without doubles," Smith said about the fight scene with Clint Eastwood in 'Any Which Way You Can'. In 1985, Smith landed the starring role of Brodie Hollister in the short-lived Disney Western series Wildside, created by writer-producer Tom Greene, and another role as the bookmaker Dutchman's strongarm enforcer known simply as "Panama Hat", in director Richard Brooks's final movie, Fever Pitch (1985) opposite Ryan O'Neal. In 2009, he published The Poetic Works of William Smith. Whos the baddest of the movie badmen? RIP, Big Bill. He was 88. This man was one of the best actors Ive ever seen. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { ICONIC actor William Smith, who tussled with Clint Eastwood in the movies, has died at the age of 88. His wife,. In 1995, Smith received a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Bodybuilding and Fitness. First, as Texas Ranger Joe Riley in two seasons of "Laredo." Smith appeared as heavy Terry Bartell in Darker than Amber in 1970. She declined to give the cause of death. His family later moved to Southern California, and Mr. Smith immediately began to seek work in films, finding jobs as a child performer and later as a studio extra. Smith was a fascinating person with a diverse background. }); According to Famous Net Worth, William Smith was worth $7 million when he died. Having both CIA and NSA clearance, Smith made up his mind to enter a classified position with the US government, but while he was working on his doctorate studies he took on an acting contract with MGM. "He was William (Big Bill) Smith, who played a lot of motorcycle gang leaders in films of the late 1960s and still looks as fearsome as ever. No cause of death was immediately made public. hitType: 'event', So insanely violent for its time. He had previously appeared with Jack Lord in Stoney Burke. Required fields are marked *. With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Smith was a . Chick Vennera, Robert Downey Sr, Richard Donner and Frank Bonner are to name a few. The Conan the Barbarian actor played the title characters father and played his scenes opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger. In addition to his wife of 31 years, he is survived by a son, William E. Smith III, and a daughter, Sherri Anne Cervelli. Smith began his long Hollywood career as a child actor in the 40s, when his family moved to Southern California from the Dust Bowl. He served in the Korean War and acted in bit parts in television shows throughout the 1950s before landing a regular role as a police sergeant in the 1961 ABC series "The Asphalt Jungle. And he played Detective James "Kimo" Carew in the final season of the original "Hawaii Five-O" on CBS in 1979 and 1980. The 88 year old's cause of death is unknown; he died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. Returning to California, Smith continued working steadily throughout the 60s and 70s, becoming an obvious choice when casting cult hit biker films such as Run, Angel, Run!, The Losers, Angels Die Hard, C.C. Mountain Climber Movie Actor Movie Actress Music Producer Non-fiction Author Novelist William Smith, an actor known for his portrayals of villains and his onscreen movie brawls, died on July 5 in Woodland Hills, Calif. 'Hawaii Five-O' star dead at 88, fans mourn 'greatest TV villain'. The fact that neither Smith nor Eastwood used body doubles for the scene was confirmed by Smith in a 2014 interview. Who do you cast to play Conan The Barbarians daddy? Tales from the Cult Film Trenches: Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema. ", Another tweeted, "A sad day for Classic HFO fans. The TV actor William Smith died at the age of 88. Tremendous screen presence. RIP: Famous actor and athlete William Smith, star of such titles as Laredo and Rich Man, Poor Man, has died at the age of 88; seen here circa 1975 Mr. Smiths wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said he died at the Motion Picture and Television Funds Country House and Hospital. What a badass legend. In fact, his career spanned over several decades with his first official TV credit in the 1950s, according to IMDb. ", Another fan wrote: "Farewell to the last great Bad Ass of TV & movies, William Smith. Back in 1942, William started his professional career as an eight-year-old child actor in The Ghost of Frankenstein, according to Deadline. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Cherry Festival Carnival Ride Nearly Topples Over (Video). While under contract with MGM, Willaim accepted roles in western and biker-themed flicks and TV shows, such as Gunsmoke and The Virginian. Mr. Smith had more than 300 acting credits listed on IMDb from 1954 to 2020. Those uncredited roles early in his career served as motivation for him to make it big, but Smith also did not give up on his schooling. Fans took to Twitter and posted messages of condolence for the iconic actor remembering his great performances. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Taylor broke three of Smith's ribs, while Smith broke Taylor's nosefilming of the scene. Smith was known for his roles in western and biker-themed films and TV shows. Born in Columbia, Missouri on March 24, 1933, Smith debuted as a child actor in 1942 in films like 'The Ghost of Frankenstein', 'The Song of Bernadette' and 'Meet Me in St. Louis' at the age of 8. Melissa Roberto covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. Smith's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the actor died Monday, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, Calif. A. Who do you cast to make Clint Eastwood break a sweat in a fistfight? Loved his performances as Joe Riley in the TV series #Laredo ('65-'67), & in particular in the season 2 episode, 'The Bitter Yen of General Ti,' with Irene Tsu." RIP#WilliamSmith#RIPWilliamSmith pic.twitter.com/KbTl0tuVe3. Television and action star William Smithhas diedat 88,The Hollywood Reporterconfirmed on July 9. His wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed that the action star passed away at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital on July 5. His films and TV performances bring me great viewing pleasure. Smith starred as Texas Ranger Joe Riley in both seasons of the NBC Western "Laredo" from 1965 to 1967. His other movie appearances include Darker Than Amber (1970), The Frisco Kid (1979), The Outsiders (1983), and Red Dawn (1984) in a career with more than 300 acting credits. In addition to his Hollywood legacy, the Missouri native was also a bodybuilder, a champion discus thrower and a published poet. Hislegacy as an action star of both film and television for several decades will live on. With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Smith was a constant, rugged presence on screen in . The actor William Smith in 1978. In 2009, Smith published The Poetic Works of William Smith. ga('ads.send', { Smith is survived by his wife, son, William E. Smith III, and daughter, Sherri Anne Cervelli. Smith also was a part of the first miniseries broadcast on American television, Rich Man, Poor Man.. The actor was famously known for his stint as Falconetti in 1976s 'Rich Man, Poor Man'. Action star William Smith, known for his roles in "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Laredo," died Monday, according to the New York Post. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Smith was involved in a fight scene alongside Clint Eastwood in the 1980 movie Any Which Way You Can. pic.twitter.com/rFPAKrQm1q, Just found out that one of my favorite, super talented character actors from my childhood passed away on Monday.William Smith was in films like The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, and Any Which Way You Can. Here is all you want to know, and more! Smith joined the cast of the final season of Hawaii Five-O as Detective James "Kimo" Carew, a new officer in the Five-O unit. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Smith's wife,Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed the news of his death to The Hollywood Reporter, but did not mention the cause. He was 88. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. William Smith, an actor known for his portrayals of villains and his onscreen movie brawls, died on July 5 in Woodland Hills, Calif. Smiths wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said he died at the Motion Picture and Television Funds Country House and Hospital. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He was a polyglot, a bodybuilder, a champion discus thrower and an Air Force pilot during the Korean War, according to his website. The man has nearly 300 roles in both films and television. Smith starred in one episode each of the Adam West Batman TV series (in the episode "Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires" as Adonis, one of the minions of the title guest villainess portrayed by Zsa Zsa Gabor), I Dream of Jeannie (in the episode "Operation: First Couple on the Moon" as Turk Parker), Kung Fu, and as The Treybor, a ruthless warlord, in the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century episode "Buck's Duel to the Death". I'll never forget that fearsome brawl between Rod Taylor and William Smith in Darker than Amber. The cause of death is unknown. "; his character beats and rapes Amanda Blake's character Miss Kitty Russell and shoots her twice in the back. }); William Smith, star of Laredo and Rich Man, Poor Man, has died at 88 years old.
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