At the time, Smith was just 8 years old (via Deadline). For the latest news on this story keep checking back at Sun Online. 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. }); The. pic.twitter.com/ISCqVYDgzC, William Smith, god-tier among the grindhouse greats, has left us. In addition to his Hollywood legacy, the Missouri native was also a bodybuilder, a champion discus thrower and a published poet. 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 . Mr. Smith had more than 300 acting credits listed on IMDb from 1954 to 2020. William Smith (19332021), actor known for Laredo, Rich Man, Poor Man. William Smith, an action star from classic films like "Any Which Way You Can" and "Red Dawn," died on Monday. Smith was best known for his portrayal of Falconetti in the groundbreaking 1976 miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man. The actor also fought in two of the most memorable brawls in cinematic history, going up against Clint Eastwood in 1980s Any Which Way You Can and Rod Taylor in 1970s Darker Than Amber.. Smith started in the 1940s as a child actor. He was 31-1 in amateur boxing bouts and was also an accomplished arm wrestler, winning multiple championships in the 200-pound weight class. But he is so much more than just an actor. William Smith was in the Season 12 Classic HFO season 1979-1980. While Mr. Smith was best known for his roles in action movies like Any Which Way You Can (1980), and television shows including Laredo, Rich Man, Poor Man and Hawaii Five-O, the real action came from his offscreen life. In 1972 and 1975, respectively, he appeared in two popular Blaxploitation films, Hammer and the controversially titled Boss Nigger, both with Fred Williamson. Smith was known for his roles in western and biker-themed films and TV shows. Good actor ! 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. William Smith, the iconic tough-guy actor in "Hawaii Five-O" and "Laredo," died Monday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills. } Legal Statement. Smith's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said the star of "Laredo" and "Rich Man, Poor Man" died Monday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles. Smith also was a part of the first miniseries broadcast on American television, Rich Man, Poor Man.. ga('ads.send', { Throughout his career, Smith was known for persevering in a cutthroat industry. The fact that neither Smith nor Eastwood used body doubles for the scene was confirmed by Smith in a 2014 interview. [1] Other 1970s TV appearances included the Kolchak: The Night Stalker episode "The Energy Eater", as an Indian medicine man who advises Kolchak, and an early Six Million Dollar Man episode "Survival of the Fittest" as Commander Maxwell. His character was a boxer named Jack Smith. His wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed that the action star passed away at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital on July 5. Smith was infamously known for fighting with Clint Eastwood in Any Which Way You Can, a 1980 movie. On Gunsmoke, Smith appeared[4] in a 1972 episode, "Hostage! 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The 88 year olds cause of death is unknown; he died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { As a member of the US Air Force, Smith was a veteran of the Korean War; he acted as a Russian Intercept Interrogator and flew secret ferret missions. William Smith is one of the most prolific and popular cult actors of our time and is considered one of the screen's all-time great villains. Smith was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Bodybuilding and Fitness and inducted into the Muscle Beach Venice Bodybuilding Hall of Fame in 2010. Had one son (William Emmett Smith III) with first wife, Michele Smith, and one daughter (Sherri Anne Cervelli DOB: April 24, 1980) with his second wife, Joanne Cervelli. hitType: 'event', He was so convincing as a villain that people attacked him in the streets!R.I.P William Smith & thanks for the memories pic.twitter.com/YjOkgnHUUa. In 2009, Mr. Smith published a book of poetry, The Poetic Works of William Smith.. The Associated Press contributed to this report. On the big screen, Smith had a memorable brawl with Clint Eastwood in Any Which Way You Can (1980) and played Conans father in Conan the Barbarian (1982) after being considered for the lead role. Television and action star William Smith has died at 88, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on July 9. ", "To me, it was like the hand-to-hand combat version of the Battle of Bloody Porch. He was reportedly also fluent in French, German and Serbo-Croatian.[3]. And he played Detective James "Kimo" Carew in the final season of the original "Hawaii Five-O" on CBS in 1979 and 1980. "Fight choreography and staging went out the window when Rod decided to really hit me," Smith recalled in an interview with the outlet in 2010. The Hollywood Reporter noted that Taylor broke three of Smith's ribs, while Smith broke Taylor's nosefilming of the scene. Biography - A Short Wiki '50s television icon who was immortalized for his role as Paul Drake on over 250 episodes of the series, Perry Mason. He played Detective Jim Kimo Carew on the final season of Hawaii Five-O and made appearances on other TV shows including Batman, Dukes of Hazzard, and The A-Team. [1] His family later moved to Southern California, where he began his acting career at the age of eight in 1942; entering films as a child actor in such films as The Ghost of Frankenstein, The Song of Bernadette and Meet Me in St. Louis. He was 88. MovieWeb even states that Smith appeared in almost every TV series of the 1970s and 1980s, like"The Dukes of Hazzard" and "The A Team.". Smith was born on March 24, 1933, in Columbia, Missouri, to William Emmett Smith and Emily Richards Smith, and grew up on the cattle ranch owned by his parents. Perhaps most well known for his portrayal of Anthony Falconetti in the miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, he was also notable for his role as James Kimo Carew in Hawaii Five-O, as well as for his work in The Virginian; The Asphalt Jungle; Laredo; and Zero One. 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. He played bareknuckle boxer Jack Wilson, who grappled with Clint Eastwood in an epic brawl in "Any Which Way You Can," one of the top-grossing movies of 1980. Back in 1942, William started his professional career as an eight-year-old child actor in The Ghost of Frankenstein, according to Deadline. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. & Company, Chrome and Hot Leather, Gentle Savage andEye of the Tiger., He played Texas Ranger Joe Riley in TVs Laredo from 1965 to 1967, and later joined the original cast of Hawaii Five-O for its last season in 1980. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); The roles he is most known for are Anthony Falconetti in the 1976 miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man,and he appeared in the original Hawaii Five-O television series from 1979-1980 as Detective James Kimo Carew. gads_event = event; One fan commented, "I'll never forget that fearsome brawl between Rod Taylor and William Smith in Darker than Amber. He was 88 years old. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Besides all of these skills and interests, Smith was a poet. ga('ads.send', { Another Twitter user said that Smith was "one of the all time greats," and it's true. With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Mr. Smith was a constant, rugged presence on screen in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, amassing nearly . Deadline noted that Smithpursued higher educationin Syracuse, Munich, and Paris before he graduated Cum Laude from UCLA, earning a master's degree. Details of death: Died at the. [1], Smith died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Los Angeles, on July 5, 2021, at the age of 88. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. According to the outlet, Smith was known for his roles on television, including "Laredo,". The fight scenes with Nick and I were good ones. from a 2010 interview for BZ Film, Sad news coming through that the great William Smith has passed away aged 88. } "It was to my immense delight that I immediately recognized the actor playing Jack Wilson," Ebert wrote. This man was one of the best actors Ive ever seen. Actor William Smith known for his many film and television roles since breaking into acting as a child star in the 1940s died on July 5, 2021. She did not specify the cause. First, as Texas Ranger Joe Riley in two seasons of "Laredo." In 2009, he published The Poetic Works of William Smith. His trademark arms measured as much as .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}19+12 inches. Smith was involved in a fight scene alongside Clint Eastwood in the 1980 movie Any Which Way You Can. or redistributed. pic.twitter.com/tMc8fKJBa5, Phoef Sutton (@phoefsutton) July 10, 2021. William Smith was an actor known for roles in movies and TV shows including Laredo and Rich Man, Poor Man.. 1959 The Gazebo as Actor (uncredited) 1961 Go Naked in the World as Minor Role 1961 The Asphalt Jungle (TV series) as Sergeant Danny Keller 1961 Atlantis, the Lost Continent as Captain of The Guard 1962 Zero One (TV series) as Jimmy Delaney 1964 36 Hours as Guy (uncredited) 1964 Mail Order Bride as Lank 1965 Laredo (TV series) as Joe Riley You can reach her at Melissa.Roberto@fox.com. let gads_event; Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The actor was famously known for his stint as Falconetti in 1976s 'Rich Man, Poor Man'. He was also famous as televisions last tobacco-advertising Marlboro Man. 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.. ", Laredo star William Smith died on Monday at the age of 88. 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. He did many of his own stunts, and sometimes those scenes got heated. He was 88. 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 A legend. That was a real fight with real blood and real broken bones. 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. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { },false) PerDeadline, Smith began his path to stardom as an extra in 1942's "The Ghost of Frankenstein," and although Smith didn't receive credit for the small role, he got more opportunities, acting in "The Song of Bernadette" and "Meet Me in St. Louis," shortly after, perIMDb. He played Natalie Wood's character's father in Rebel Without a Cause. Now that was a good fight, Mr. Smith recalled in a 2010 interview with BZ Film. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dead at 61 after brain aneurysm, Coley Laffoon honors late ex-wife Anne Heche in birthday post to son, Forensic expert doubts homicide claims from Aaron Carters mother, Jazz legend dead: Grammy-winning visionary composer was 89. ICONIC actor William Smith, who tussled with Clint Eastwood in the movies, has died at the age of 88. Smith appeared as heavy Terry Bartell in Darker than Amber in 1970. Along with appearing in films, William Smith also made his mark in television. The Columbia, Mo., native solidified his Hollywood status after tussling onscreen with actors like Clint Eastwood, Nick Nolte and Yul Brynner. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), William Smith, Action Actor and Star of 'Laredo' and 'Rich Man, Poor Man,' Dies at 88 The legendary tough guy appeared in biker movies and blaxpoitation pics and went toe-to-toe with Clint. Mr. Smiths wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said he died at the Motion Picture and Television Funds Country House and Hospital. The iconic actor also was a part of the first miniseries broadcast on American television, 'Rich Man, Poor Man'. Smith was also known to fight in two of the most memorable fight sequences in cinematic history going up against Clint Eastwood in 1980s 'Any Which Way You Can' and Rod Taylor in 1970s 'Darker than Amber'. American actor William Smith, circa 1975. William Smith, the iconic tough-guy actor in Hawaii Five-O and Laredo, died Monday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills. Hes definitely tough as nails but he had the heart of a poet, she said. Smith is also known for films like Any Which Way You Can (1980), Conan The Barbarian (1982), Rumble Fish (1983), and Red Dawn (1984), as well as lead roles in several exploitation films during the 1990s.[2]. }); William Smith. He was 88. william brewster van zandt; when is the next wimberley market days; national police and troopers association; Community. Smith starred as Texas Ranger Joe Riley in both seasons of the NBC Western "Laredo" from 1965 to 1967. However, his first role was an uncredited one where he played a village boy in "The Ghost of Frankenstein" in 1942. 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. The Tragic Death Of Action Star William Smith. 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. pg.acq.push(function() { Mountain Climber Movie Actor Movie Actress Music Producer Non-fiction Author Novelist His wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed his passing to the Hollywood Reporter. Smith was a fascinating person with a diverse background. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Fans React To Chick-Fil-A Being Voted America's Favorite Restaurant, Spectrum Removes NFL Network From TV Packages For Authorized Incorrectly, Maria Andrejczyk Auctions Tokyo Olympic Medal For Charity, Bill Cosby To Invoke Fifth Amendment In Civil Case, Pat Hitchcock: Alfred Hitchcock's Daughter Dies (3 Things To Know), Alex Cord: Airwolf Star Dies At 88 (3 Things To Know), Markie Post: Night Court Actress Dies At 70 (3 Things To Know), Albert Dyrlund: Danish YouTuber Dies At 22 (Story), Chick Vennera: Veteran Actor Dies At 74 (3 Things To Know), Caitlyn Loane: TikTok Star Dies At 19 (Full Story), Matima Miller: TikTok Star Dies At 19 (Full Story), Stuart Damon: Soap Opera Actor Dies At 84 (3 Things To Know), Clarence Williams III: Actor Dies At 81 (3 Things To Know), Kentaro Miura: 'Berzerk' Manga Creator Dies At 54, Paul Mooney: Actor And Comedian Dies At 79 (3 Things To Know), Charles Grodin: Beloved Actor Dies At 86 (3 Things To Know), Norman Lloyd: Actor Dies At 106 (3 Things To Know), Lloyd Price: Music Pioneer Dead At 88 (3 Things To Know), Sunday Burquest: 'Survivor' Star Dies At 50 (3 Things To Know), Nikki Grahame Of Big Brother UK Dies At 38 (3 Things To Know), Andy Haman: Bodybuilder Dies At 54 (3 Things To Know), Yaphet Kotto: James Bond Villain Actor Dies At 81. AIR Awareness Outreach; AIR Business Lunch & Learn; AIR Community of Kindness; AIR Dogs: Paws For Minds AIR Hero AIR & NJAMHAA Conference Joanne Cervelli Smith, his wife of 31 years, confirmed the actor's death in USA TODAY on Friday. He starred in 1972's Grave of the Vampire as James Eastman (co-starring with Michael Pataki and Lyn Peters), and 1973's Invasion of the Bee Girls (co-starring Victoria Vetri, Anitra Ford and Katie Saylor, written by Nicholas Meyer and directed by Denis Sanders), and 1975's The Swinging Barmaids (starring Ms. Saylor, Bruce Watson and Laura Hippe, and directed by Gus Trikonis). How did William Smith die? After that, he played a vindictive sergeant in Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977) with an all-star cast headed by Burt Lancaster and Richard Widmark, a drag-racing legend in Fast Company (1979) also co-starring Claudia Jennings and John Saxon, the main character's father in Conan the Barbarian (1982) with Arnold Schwarzenegger, bad guy Matt Diggs in The Frisco Kid (1979) opposite Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford, and Clint Eastwood's bare-knuckle opponent Jack Wilson in 1980's Any Which Way You Can (a sequel to 1978's Every Which Way But Loose in which Smith did not appear), and also had a top villainous role of the Soviet commander in the hit 1984 theatrical film Red Dawn. Smith's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said the star. He did many of his own stunts. So insanely violent for its time. ", A fourth commentator added: "REMEMBER HIM WELLalways thought he should be a leading man with his looksbut seemed always the slightly sleazy tough guyRIP William Smith". RIP, Big Bill. Actor William Smith, known for playing bikers, cowboys and brawlers in a series of television shows and hit movies, has died. Legal Statement. Also in 1970, Smith featured in two biker flicks Nam's Angels (originally released under the title "The Losers") co-starring Bernie Hamilton and C.C. Smith also fought legendary actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood in "Any Which Way You Can," which was "the longest two-man fights ever done on film" without the use of stunt doubles. Rest in Prominence & Peace, Big Bill. On the silver screen, Smith also acted in popular films. 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. McFarland, pg. William Smith was in the Season 12 Classic HFO season 1979-1980. To me, it was like the hand-to-hand combat version of the Battle of Bloody Porch. Whos the baddest of the movie badmen? All rights reserved. Smith was a working actor for over 70 . In 1967, Smith guest starred as Jude Bonner on James Arness's long-lived western Gunsmoke. ', 'The Losers', 'Angels Die Hard', 'C.C. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We are one of the worlds fastest growing William Smith, god-tier among the grindhouse greats, has left us. In the 1980s, the 6-foot-2 actor earned roles in Francis Ford Coppolas The Outsiders, (1983) and in Conan the Barbarian (1982), for which he was cast as the father of Conan, who was played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. William Smith, the rugged actor who starred on "Laredo" and "Rich Man, Poor Man" and had memorable movie brawls with Rod Taylor and Clint Eastwood, died Monday, his wife said. Hislegacy as an action star of both film and television for several decades will live on. His wife,. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The actor William Smith in 1978. 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." Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. Smith was a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War. His wife Joanne Cervelli Smith, who confirmed the news to THR, didn't reveal the cause for his death. 10 years before this scene, Smith had another legendary fight scene with Rod Taylor inDarker Than Amber. Smith served in the United States Air Force. Along with his wife of 31 years, Smith is survived by his two children, William E. Smith III and Sherri Anne Cervelli. The Hollywood screen icon had over 270 credits to his name in film and television (via IMDb ), including his legendary role as boxer Jack Wilson in "Any Which Way You Can," opposite Clint Eastwood, as well as "Conan the Barbarian" with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 1995, Smith received a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Bodybuilding and Fitness. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. William Smith, star of Laredo and Rich Man, Poor Man, has died at 88 years old. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images), "It has to be one of the longest two-man fights ever done on film without doubles," Smith said in an interview for the 2014 book "Tales From the Cult Film Trenches.". Chick Vennera, Robert Downey Sr, Richard Donner and Frank Bonner are to name a few. William Smith, an actor known for his portrayals of villains and his onscreen movie brawls, died on July 5 in Woodland Hills, Calif. Smith's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said he died at the Motion Picture and Television Fund's Country House and Hospital. William Smith's net worth is estimated at $7 million. For iPhone click here, for Android click here. He also played Conan the Barbarians (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) father in the 1982 film Conan. R.I.P. ICONIC actor William Smith, who tussled with Clint Eastwood in the movies, has died at the age of 88. Smith has been described as the "greatest bad-guy character actor of our time".[5]. Actor William Smith, who played cowboys, brawlers and no-nonsense tough guys in nearly 300 films and television shows, has died at 88 . } He died. ga('ads.send', { I'll never forget that fearsome brawl between Rod Taylor and William Smith in Darker than Amber. He was 88. What a badass legend. William's final appearance in his film career was in the comedyIrresistible, which starred Steve Carell. He also appeared in the 1979 miniseries The Rebels as John Waverly, in an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard as Jason Steele, a bounty hunter hired by Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane to frame the Duke Boys into jail, and in an episode of Knight Rider as Harold Turner, the manipulative leader of a hellish biker gang whom David Hasselhoff's character Michael Knight has to outsmart. Actor William Smith known for his many film and television roles since breaking into acting as a child star in the 1940s died on July 5, 2021. Jodie teamed the look . With his chiseled . pic.twitter.com/UJVpOSTted, Daily Grindhouse (@DailyGrindhouse) July 9, 2021. Thanks for contacting us. Smith is survived by his wife, son, William E. Smith III, and daughter, Sherri Anne Cervelli. She declined to give the cause of death. The movie actor William Hopper died at the age of 55. 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. hitType: 'event',
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