She also penned onFacebook, "My heart hurts so badly.". 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He started his career way back in the 40's and is still going strong. R.I.P. Deadline noted that Smithpursued higher educationin Syracuse, Munich, and Paris before he graduated Cum Laude from UCLA, earning a master's degree. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. },false) One of his earliest leading roles was as Joe Riley, a good-natured Texas Ranger on the NBC western series Laredo (19651967). Ten years later, he made movie history again when he squared off against Eastwood in Any Which Way You Can. It has to be one of the longest two-man fights ever done on film without doubles, Smith said about the notorious scene. gads_event = event; ga('ads.send', { RIP#WilliamSmith#RIPWilliamSmith pic.twitter.com/KbTl0tuVe3. He was 88. She declined to give the cause of death. A fluent Russian speaker, during the Korean War Smith was a Russian Intercept Interrogator and flew secret ferret missions over the Russian SFSR. He played a general in the 1984 cult classicRed Dawn, speaking fluent Russian which was only one of the six languages he spoke. The actor took his last breath at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills on Monday, July 5, according to his wife Joanne Cervelli Smith. Smith served in the United States Air Force. Rod is a skilled fighter and at the same time a real scrapper." document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Smith was such a hardworking actor that he had over 280 credits in his career, and his most recent one was as the Hofbrau Bar Fly in the 2020 film "Irresistible" (via IMDb). (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.". ", 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'. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. She declined to give the cause of death. ", 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.". 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. It was the final season. "It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved father and Oscar winning actor, on March 13, 2022, one week before his 72nd birthday. William Smith, an actor known for his portrayals of villains and his onscreen movie brawls, died on July 5 in Woodland Hills, Calif. The man has nearly 300 roles in both films and television. Legal Statement. Clint Eastwood fans will of course remember his outstanding performance as Jack Wilson in Any Which Way You Can (1980). May his soul Rest In Peace. We are one of the worlds fastest growing Anyone can read what you share. 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. LOS ANGELES (AP) Actor William Smith, who played bikers, brawlers, cowboys and no-nonsense tough guys in films and television shows including "Laredo," "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Any Which. His wife Joanne Cervelli Smith, who confirmed the news to THR, didn't reveal the cause for his death. 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. 5 William Smith has died Credit: CBS 5 William fought Clint in Any Which Way You Can Credit: Alamy The actor took his last breath at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills on Monday, July 5, according to his wife Joanne Cervelli Smith. In addition to his wife, Mr. Smith is survived by his son, William E. Smith III, and his daughter, Sherri Anne Cervelli. 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. or redistributed. However, news of his death has saddened the industry which is already mourning the loss of a lot of great actors recently. 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. She did not reveal the cause of his death. Market data provided by Factset. He was also famous as televisions last tobacco-advertising Marlboro Man. She declined to give the cause of death. The actress, 36, strutted out in a sheer bra which showcased plenty of cleavage and her toned abs. According to Famous Net Worth, William Smith was worth $7 million when he died. "It was to my immense delight that I immediately recognized the actor playing Jack Wilson," Ebert wrote. So insanely violent for its time. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. William Emmett Smith (March 24, 1933 July 5, 2021) was an American actor. }); He was 88. William Smith, god-tier among the grindhouse greats, has left us. Action star William Smith, known for his roles in "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Laredo," died Monday, according to the New York Post. He was throwing punches with Rod Taylor for the 1970 film Darker Than Amber when the two began fighting each other for real. With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Smith was a constant, rugged presence on screen in . One fan commented, "I'll never forget that fearsome brawl between Rod Taylor and William Smith in Darker than Amber. 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. Home. Smith began his long Hollywood career as a child actor in the 40s, when his family moved to Southern California from the Dust Bowl. No cause of death was immediately made public. pic.twitter.com/tMc8fKJBa5, Phoef Sutton (@phoefsutton) July 10, 2021. For the latest news on this story keep checking back at Sun Online. At the time, Smith was just 8 years old (via Deadline). He was so convincing as a villain that people attacked him in the streets! With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Smith was a constant, rugged presence on screen in the 1960s, 1970s and . 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. 10 years before this scene, Smith had another legendary fight scene with Rod Taylor inDarker Than Amber. 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. Before he was known as a bodybuilder and tough guy, Smith was a child actor in Hollywood. ', 'The Losers', 'Angels Die Hard', 'C.C. 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, confirmed the news of his death to The Hollywood Reporter, but did not mention the cause. 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. Your email address will not be published. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ In 1976, Smith was also part of the first miniseries on American television, "Rich Man, Poor Man" on ABC. One of those great men you thought would live forever. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); He did many of his own stunts. ", Laredo star William Smith died on Monday at the age of 88. william brewster van zandt; when is the next wimberley market days; national police and troopers association; Community. }) 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. ga('ads.send', { Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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." 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. Actor William Smith, who played cowboys, brawlers and no-nonsense tough guys in nearly 300 films and television shows, has died at 88 . "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 the 1976 television miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man, he portrayed Anthony Falconetti, nemesis of the Jordache family, and reprised the role in the sequel, Rich Man, Poor Man Book II. #RIP #WilliamSmith. Smith starred as Texas Ranger Joe Riley in both seasons of the NBC Western "Laredo" from 1965 to 1967. ga('ads.send', { He was in 1982sConan the Barbarian alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and had his last acting credit just last year as Hofbrau Bar Fly in 2020s Irresistible with Steve Carell and Rose Byrne. "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. [1], Smith died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Los Angeles, on July 5, 2021, at the age of 88. The scene was long but choreographed well. Besides all of these skills and interests, Smith was a poet. 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's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed the news of his death to The Hollywood Reporter, but did not mention the cause. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Cherry Festival Carnival Ride Nearly Topples Over (Video). Rest in Peace, William Smith. In 1970, he portrayed a sadistic bodybuilder inDarker Than Amber, and performed what is considered to be one of the most realistic on-screen fights, with Taylor famously breaking three of his ribs and getting his nose busted.