}); She declined to give the cause of death. }) One of those great men you thought would live forever. 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. eventAction: 'load' Smith also made guest appearances opposite James Garner in the 1974 two-hour pilot for The Rockford Files (titled "Backlash of the Hunter" and also featuring Lindsay Wagner and Bill Mumy), and George Peppard in The A-Team (in two appearances as different characters, in the first season's "Pros and Cons" and the fourth season's "The A-Team Is Coming, The A-Team Is Coming"). But while working on his doctorate in foreign-language studies, he landed an acting contract at MGM. He was 88. May 14, 2009. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. eventAction: 'render' Im watching him now In a bunch of old 70s biker movies .. another surprise. }); Actor William Smith, who was famous for starring in television shows like 'Hawaii Five-O' and 'Laredo', has died. Life and Education. With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Smith was a constant, rugged presence on screen in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, amassing nearly 300 . window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { 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. That was a real fight with real blood and real broken bones. ", Another tweeted, "A sad day for Classic HFO fans. She married William Smith in 1913. 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, the rugged actor who starred on television on Laredo, Rich Man, . Motorcycle Racer. To me, it was like the hand-to-hand combat version of the Battle of Bloody Porch. Smith is survived by Joanne, his wife of 31 years, and his son, William E. Smith III and daughter, Sherri Anne Cervell. Will Smith, a former first-round pick in the NFL who played for the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl-winning team, was shot to death after a traffic incident on April 9. He did all his own stunts. THE COLD WIRE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF COLD WIRE MEDIA. Find. 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. The scene was long but choreographed well. He was throwing punches with Rod Taylor for the 1970 film Darker Than Amber when the two began fighting each other for real. Sunday | 35 views, 2 likes, 2 loves, 4 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Grace Pointe Church - Lakeland: Sunday Worship - Doug Smith 4/30/23 We've received your submission. Throughout his career, Smith was known for persevering in a cutthroat industry. Rod is a skilled fighter and at the same time a real scrapper." document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ His wife Joanne Cervelli Smith, who confirmed the news to THR, didn't reveal the cause . Tales from the Cult Film Trenches: Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema. Chick Vennera, Robert Downey Sr, Richard Donner and Frank Bonner are to name a few. He appeared in over 300 films and television shows. "It was to my immense delight that I immediately recognized the actor playing Jack Wilson," Ebert wrote. . For the latest news on this story keep checking back at Sun Online. A.I. } So toast those that live and those that die William Smith, star of Laredo and Rich Man, Poor Man, has died at 88 years old. At the ranch, he would develop a love and admiration for horses and the classic Western lifestyle, according to his website. He was 88 years old. On Gunsmoke, Smith appeared[4] in a 1972 episode, "Hostage! 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. Smith's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said he died at the Motion Picture and Television Fund's Country House and Hospital. Fletcher, 48, posted a throwback photo of Smith . ga('ads.send', { In a Hollywood career spanning more than 79 years, he appeared in almost three hundred feature films and television productions in a wide variety of character roles, accumulating over 980 total credits,[2] with his best known role being the menacing Anthony Falconetti in the 1970s television mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man. William Smith, Action Star Known for His Onscreen Brawls, Dies at 88, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/arts/television/william-smith-dead.html. In addition to his wife, Mr. Smith is survived by his son, William E. Smith III, and his daughter, Sherri Anne Cervelli. At the time, Smith was just 8 years old (via Deadline). It was the final season. Who do you cast to make Clint Eastwood break a sweat in a fistfight? eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Mr. Smith's wife . No cause of death was immediately made public. ga('ads.send', { James Kimo Carew. His wife Joanne Cervelli Smith confirmed the death. [citation needed] Smith held a 311 record as an amateur boxer. He was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 8, 1996. Outside of his career in Hollywood, Smith had forged a successful career in the U.S. Air Force and the NSA. Throughout his life, he was interested in bodybuilding and boxing. In a career span of more than 75 years, Smith appeared in almost three hundred feature films and television productions. William Smith, the rugged actor who starred on television on Laredo, Rich Man, . Smith's wife,Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed the news of his death to The Hollywood Reporter, but did not mention the cause. 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. }); Prior to his time in the military and his eventual contract with MGM, Smith did have a substantial amount of experience in Hollywood as a youngster. Before he was known as a bodybuilder and tough guy, Smith was a child actor in Hollywood. Deadline noted that Smithpursued higher educationin Syracuse, Munich, and Paris before he graduated Cum Laude from UCLA, earning a master's degree. He did many of his own stunts, and sometimes those scenes got heated. William 'Billy' Smith, known as Thunder, has passed away at the age of 56. }); William Smith. "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. William fought Clint in Any Which Way You Can Credit: Alamy. Law enforcement's preliminary investigation revealed that a Holiday Inn Ford Transit passenger van was traveling on West End Avenue in Nashville when it struck Smith, who had begun to walk across. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ In excellent shape and healthy living. Jan. 2, 2023. Smith started in the 1940s as a child actor. USE OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY. The one thing about Schwarzenegger that I will never forget is that nobody could double him, be his stunt double, because of the shape he was in. Now that was a good fight!. He also played the father of the title character inConan the Barbarian, writing his own lines for his monologue that opens the film. 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. Back in his heyday, the bodybuilder was a champion discus thrower at UCLA, an arm-wrestling and boxing champion and a martial arts black belt. Although often typecast as an anti-social personality, he sporadically got other kinds of roles as a law enforcement officer or an anti-heroic protagonist. William Smith, the rugged actor who starred on television onLaredo,Rich Man, Poor ManandHawaii Five-Oand went toe-to-toe with Clint Eastwood and Rod Taylor in two of the more remarkable brawls in movie history, has died. Death 5 Jul 2021 (aged 88) Woodland Hills, Los Angeles County, California, USA. His death was attributed to his struggle with Lewy body disease. His character was a boxer named Jack Smith. The Conan the Barbarian actor played the title characters father and played his scenes opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger. Jada Pinkett Smith and son Jaden, 24 . In an excerpt from The Reaper, he wrote: Youve done some bad and youve done some good ga('ads.send', { Anyone can read what you share. "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'. And so the fight was on. That one was so realistic that both Smith and Taylor suffered injuries during the filming of it. A unique soul with a great personality has an amazing sense of humour, diligent and caring. "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. . Details of death: Died at . All in a days work.". William Smith, star of "Laredo" and "Rich Man, Poor Man," has died at 88 years old. }); eventAction: 'click_adunit' Smith died Monday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, hiswife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, told The Hollywood Reporter. The cause of death is unknown. By Douglas Martin. 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 . William Smith was in the Season 12 Classic HFO season 1979-1980. He was 88. A fan tweeted: "I'll never forget that fearsome brawl between Rod Taylor and William Smith in Darker than Amber. He also starred in the likes of "Rich Man, Poor Man", "Laredo," and "Hawaii Five-O" (via the Hollywood Reporter), with his last role being Hofbrau Bar Fly in the 2020 film "Irresistible," starring Steve Carell and Rose Byrne. Tremendous screen presence. Another Twitter user said that Smith was "one of the all time greats," and it's true. (They smeared Karo syrup and peanut butter on his face to keep the critters in the shot.). Born in March 23, 1769 at The Forge in Churchill, Oxfordshire, England, William Smith was the eldest son of John Smith, the village blacksmith, and Ann Smith. John Keyte, 86, who was head of Beaudesert Park independent school at Minchinhampton, near Stroud, for 25 years, died in hospital on October . 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]. Smith also was a part of the first miniseries broadcast on American television, Rich Man, Poor Man.. #RIP #WilliamSmith. Not only was Smith an action star, but he was known as atough guy and appeared in two of the biggest brawls in movie history. A fluent Russian speaker, during the Korean War Smith was a Russian Intercept Interrogator and flew secret ferret missions over the Russian SFSR. 226, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, "William Smith, Action Star Known for His Onscreen Brawls, Dies at 88", "William Smith | Brilliant Classroom Characters: The Top 10 Wicked Smart Actors", "William Smith: My fight with Clint Eastwood was longest two-man fight scene on screen", "William Smith, Action Actor and Star of 'Laredo' and 'Rich Man, Poor Man,' Dies at 88", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Smith_(actor)&oldid=1152562587, This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 00:21. His films and TV performances bring me great viewing pleasure. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter, The legendary tough guy appeared in biker movies and blaxpoitation pics and went toe-to-toe with Clint Eastwood in 'Any Which Way You Can' and Rod Taylor in 'Darker Than Amber.'. Smith's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed the news of his death to The Hollywood Reporter, but did not mention the cause. 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. 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. William Smith was an actor known for roles in movies and TV shows including "Laredo" and "Rich Man, Poor Man.". No one, no one in this world can you trust not men, not women, not beasts this you can trust, he says pointing to the movies iconic steel sword. Country music . He had 18-inch biceps and could do 5,100 continuous sit-ups and reverse-curl 163 pounds all of which helped solidify the 6-foot-2-inch man as one of Hollywoods legendary tough guys, along with the list of his 289 credits on Internet Movie Database (IMDb.com). William Smith remembered as 'greatest TV villain ever' Fans took to Twitter and posted messages of condolence for the iconic actor remembering his great performances. William Smith, the burly character actor known for playing tough guys and fighting Clint Eastwood in the 1980 film Any Which Way You Can, has died at the age of 88. In addition to his Hollywood legacy, the Missouri native was also a bodybuilder, a champion discus thrower and a published poet. ga('ads.send', { if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ Joanne Cervelli Smith, his wife of 31 years, confirmed the actor's death to . Whoopi Goldberg interrupts 'The View' live segment, raises her voice and hits co-host, Baywatch star Jeremy Jacksons ex-wife Loni Willison spotted looking for food in LA waste, 'Liza took a final breath and sighed': Liza Burke, 21, dies 6 weeks after stage 4 cancer diagnosis, 'Go for a size bigger': Honey Boo Boo slammed for flaunting 'tight' prom dress with boyfriend Dralin Carswell. An experience, though, that would forever shape Smith's legacy would be when he stepped into the role of a merciless bodybuilder in 1970's "Darker Than Amber," where he went head to head in the ring with Rod Taylor. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { And while you can, spit in the Reapers eye., Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Two years later, he worked on the BBC seriesZero One(its title was the call-sign of the International Air Security Agency) with Nigel Patrick. McFarland, pg. Despite not receiving the best reviews, film critic Roger Ebert enjoyed the pair acting together. "Any Which Way You Can" Star William Smith Cause of Death. At the time of his death, the culmination of William Smith's earnings as an actor and his many other ventures led to a net worth of around $7 million, according to Famous People Net Worth. Unsubscribe at any time. The Reaper chased and couldnt keep your pace Later in his career, he was the "go-to-guy" for biker films, like "The Losers" and "Chrome and Hot Leather," in the 1970s. He was a regular on the 1961 ABC television series The Asphalt Jungle, portraying police Sergeant Danny Keller. 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Smith was infamously known for fighting with Clint Eastwood in Any Which Way You Can, a 1980 movie. He was 88. Copyright 2023 /The Celebrity Deaths.com/All Rights Reserved. Advertisement With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Smith was a constant, rugged presence on screen in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s . The star's ex-wife, Sheree Fletcher , shared the news via Instagram on Monday, November 7. He was reportedly also fluent in French, German and Serbo-Croatian.[3]. Smith was known for his roles in western and biker-themed films and TV shows. However, news of his death has saddened the industry which is already mourning the loss of a lot of great actors recently. 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'. He is interred in Delta 51 alongside his parents and his siblings Ann, Jane, Jane, George and William. Hes definitely tough as nails but he had the heart of a poet, she said. In 1976, Smith was also part of the first miniseries on American television, "Rich Man, Poor Man" on ABC. May his soul Rest In Peace. Along with appearing in films, William Smith also made his mark in television. He could speak six languages which made him a valuable asset during his military service. In 1961, he starred on the studios ABC police dramaThe Asphalt Jungleopposite Jack Warden. His wife Joanne Cervelli Smith, who confirmed the news to THR, didn't reveal the cause for his death. She did not want to reveal the cause of death. 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. Action junkies and film enthusiasts shared their love for William on the web. hitType: 'event', By Eduardo Medina. One fan wrote, "Greatest TV villain ever, as a kid in the 70's everyone and their aunt hated the character of Falconetti that he brought to life in 'Rich Man, Poor Man'. } A legend. 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