The Heartbreaking Death Of Action Star William Smith. }) William Smith, god-tier among the grindhouse greats, has left us. His career spans 60 years of acting in some of the most popular films and television shows of all time. Chick Vennera, Robert Downey Sr, Richard Donner and Frank Bonner are to name a few. Smith starred as Texas Ranger Joe Riley in both seasons of the NBC Western "Laredo" from 1965 to 1967. 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 did many of his own stunts. ICONIC actor William Smith, who tussled with Clint Eastwood in the movies, has died at the age of 88. ", A third fan added: "Godspeed, William Smith. 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 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 . ga('ads.send', { window.adsContainer = {"positionAfterTitle":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position2":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position3":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Below_Next_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle1_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle2_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position7":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle3_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle4_Rel_Newrev","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle5_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position10":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle6_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position11":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle7_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position12":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle8_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position13":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle9_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position14":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle10_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position15":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle11_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"position16":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_Middle12_Rel_Newrev","max_width":336,"max_height":280},"positionTop":{"code":"Article_Desktop_970x250_Header_Rel","isOrganicUserAd":false,"max_width":970,"max_height":250},"positionBottom":{"code":"Article_Desktop_Sidebar_Bottom_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":300,"max_height":600},"positionBottomRight":{"code":"Article_Desktop_300x250_After_Title_Rel_Newrev","isOrganicUserAd":true,"max_width":336,"max_height":280}} On the big screen, Smith became the star of several cult movies from the early seventies. How did Joy Vogelsang die? Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. Smith was a fascinating person with a diverse background. Thanks for contacting us. Smith is survived by his wife of 31 years, Joanne Cervelli Smith and his two children William E. Smith III and Sherri Anne Cervelli. (Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images). }); To me, it was like the hand-to-hand combat version of the Battle of Bloody Porch. 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. 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. 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's wife,Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed the news of his death to The Hollywood Reporter, but did not mention the cause. May his soul Rest In Peace. Action star William Smith, known for his roles in "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Laredo," died Monday, according to the New York Post. Tremendous screen presence. Whos the baddest of the movie badmen? 'Laredo' actor William Smith dies at 88. . MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of and Company with Ann-Margret, Joe Namath, Jennifer Billingsley and genre favorite, Sid Haig, the latter of which was directed by Seymour Robbie and written by Ann-Margret's husband, actor Roger Smith. Inside Josh Duggar's lonely 35th birthday in prison solitary confinement, Honey Boo Boo, 17, & boyfriend, 21, found with gun & drugs in car in arrest, Today's Hoda Kotb looks solemn on stroll with daughter amid show absence, Jill Duggar reveals she's 'so proud' of husband's major career change in new pic, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, William fought Clint in Any Which Way You Can, William 'played a lot of motorcycle gang leaders in films', William posed with the rest of the Hawaii Five-O cast for a photo. Legal Statement. Back in 1942, William started his professional career as an eight-year-old child actor in The Ghost of Frankenstein, according to Deadline. He played Natalie Wood's character's father in Rebel Without a Cause. eventAction: 'click_ads' A lifelong bodybuilder, Smith was a record holder for reverse-curling his own body weight. 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. William's final appearance in his film career was in the comedyIrresistible, which starred Steve Carell. A bodybuilder himself, The Rockford Files actor appeared in the cult classic Conan the Barbarian. hitType: 'event', Jodie Turner-Smith made a head-turning exit from a fancy hotel on Thursday. In 1964, he appeared in the episode "The Rope of Lies" as Bill, a ranch hand from the Shiloh Ranch in the syndicated television series The Virginian. [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. He was 88. }); 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 credits. The actress, 36, strutted out in a sheer bra which showcased plenty of cleavage and her toned abs. It was the final season. Action junkies and film enthusiasts shared their love for William on the web. For the latest news on this story keep checking back at Sun Online. Mr. Smith, who was born on March 24, 1933, grew up on a cattle ranch in Missouri owned by his parents, William Emmett Smith and Emily Richards Smith. A fluent Russian speaker, during the Korean War Smith was a Russian Intercept Interrogator and flew secret ferret missions over the Russian SFSR. ga('ads.send', { RIP#WilliamSmith#RIPWilliamSmith pic.twitter.com/KbTl0tuVe3. The actor was famously known for his stint as Falconetti in 1976s 'Rich Man, Poor Man'. 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. ", Another tweeted, "A sad day for Classic HFO fans. pic.twitter.com/tMc8fKJBa5, Phoef Sutton (@phoefsutton) July 10, 2021. 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'. On the silver screen, Smith also acted in popular films. His wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed his passing to the Hollywood Reporter. While under contract with MGM, Willaim accepted roles in western and biker-themed flicks and TV shows, such as Gunsmoke and The Virginian. He was 88. gads_event = event; "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'. Mr. Smith had more than 300 acting credits listed on IMDb from 1954 to 2020. and Company', 'Chrome and Hot Leather,' 'Gentle Savage' and 'Eye of the Tiger'. }); CHICK VENNERA, 'GOLDEN GIRLS' AND 'ANIMANIACS' ACTOR, DEAD AT 74, Born in Columbia, Missouri, Smith would begin acting at age 8, playing small uncredited roles in 1940s films, including "The Ghost of Frankenstein" and "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Im watching him now In a bunch of old 70s biker movies .. another surprise. 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.. William Smith, star of Laredo and Rich Man, Poor Man, has died at 88 years old. Smith was a working actor for over 70 . R.I.P. She did not specify the cause. }) Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSunUS and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunUS. He would later become an elite discus thrower at UCLA, a martial arts black belt and a champion arm-wrestler. Joanne Cervelli Smith, his wife of 31 years, confirmed the actor's death to . In its obituary for William Smith,Deadline revealed that the "Hawaii Five-O" actor first wanted to pursue a career in government, but ended up acting after MGM gave him a contract. He was 88. The fact that neither Smith nor Eastwood used body doubles for the scene was confirmed by Smith in a 2014 interview. 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. (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.". View. ICONIC actor William Smith, who tussled with Clint Eastwood in the movies, has died at the age of 88. With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Smith was a constant, rugged presence on screen in the 1960s, 1970s and . ga('ads.send', { hitType: 'event', That one was so realistic that both Smith and Taylor suffered injuries during the filming of it. eventAction: 'view' 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. His last role was in Irresistible, a 2020 film directed by Jon Stewart. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), At the ranch, he would develop a love and admiration for horses and the classic Western lifestyle, according to his website. She declined to give the cause of death. 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), William Smith was an actor known for roles in movies and TV shows including "Laredo" and "Rich Man, Poor Man." Died: July 5, 2021 ( Who else died on July 5?) Smith has been described as the "greatest bad-guy character actor of our time".[5]. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. }); The Duke and Duchess are not as 'stunned' about the . Smith was 88 years old. In addition to his Hollywood legacy, the Missouri native was also a bodybuilder, a champion discus thrower and a published poet. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "It was to my immense delight that I immediately recognized the actor playing Jack Wilson," Ebert wrote. However, his most memorable role on TV was when he played Anthony Falconetti in 1976's "Rich Man, Poor Man," where he played a villain. He was 88. William Smith, an action star from classic films like "Any Which Way You Can" and "Red Dawn," died on Monday. ", 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'. 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. 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. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. McFarland, pg. Hes definitely tough as nails but he had the heart of a poet, she said. The scene was long but choreographed well. 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. Throughout his life, he was interested in bodybuilding and boxing. 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). This man was one of the best actors Ive ever seen. Tales from the Cult Film Trenches: Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema. You can reach her at Melissa.Roberto@fox.com. He was a polyglot, a bodybuilder, a champion discus thrower and an Air Force pilot during the Korean War, according to his website. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' hitType: 'event', In addition to his wife, Mr. Smith is survived by his son, William E. Smith III, and his daughter, Sherri Anne Cervelli. [8], For other people named William Smith, see, Louis Paul (2007). The Hollywood star William Smith who starred in TV shows including Hawaii Five-O and Rich Man, Poor Man and films including Any Which Way You Can and Conan The Barbarian has died aged 88.

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