In excellent shape and healthy living. Personal Quotes (2) Sammy [ Sammy Davis Jr.] was really good friends with Peter Brown. 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. 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. 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 . 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. Besides all of these skills and interests, Smith was a poet. pic.twitter.com/UJVpOSTted, Daily Grindhouse (@DailyGrindhouse) July 9, 2021. Mr. Smith's wife, Joanne. William Smith. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Whos the baddest of the movie badmen? With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Smith was a constant, rugged presence on screen in . Mountain Climber Movie Actor Movie Actress Music Producer Non-fiction Author Novelist That's how you become a cult actor. 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). One of the great ones. The place to find Mr. Smith, even as an older man, was the gym, Ms. Smith said. (Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images). He speaks five languages, was an award-winning bodybuilder . Another Twitter user said that Smith was "one of the all time greats," and it's true. He was so convincing as a villain that people attacked him in the streets! She did not specify the cause. On Gunsmoke, Smith appeared[4] in a 1972 episode, "Hostage! Wayne LaFarr/YouTube. William Smith is just that. }); She also penned onFacebook, "My heart hurts so badly.". The Hollywood Reporter noted that Taylor broke three of Smith's ribs, while Smith broke Taylor's nosefilming of the scene. He won the 200-pound (91kg) arm-wrestling championship of the world multiple times and also won the United States Air Force weightlifting championship. In 2009, Smith published The Poetic Works of William Smith. He was a polyglot, a bodybuilder, a champion discus thrower and an Air Force pilot during the Korean War, according to his website. GLEE STAR HEATHER MORRIS HONORS NAYA RIVERA WITH TRIBUTE TATTOO: TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED, American actor William Smith, circa 1975. He was also famous as televisions last tobacco-advertising Marlboro Man. "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. Smith was a working actor for over 70 . Smith was a fascinating person with a diverse background. 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. (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.". window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { THE COLD WIRE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF COLD WIRE MEDIA. The iconic actor also was a part of the first miniseries broadcast on American television, 'Rich Man, Poor Man'. He had previously appeared with Jack Lord in Stoney Burke. Smith was 88 years old. Your email address will not be published. Actor William Smith, known for playing bikers, cowboys and brawlers in a series of television shows and hit movies, has died. He was 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. 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. In the fist fight scene that ends the film, Rod Taylor hit Smith (who was playing the villain) who retaliated in kind,[6] and a staged-fight scene became a real fight as the cameras continued to roll. }); The actor was famously known for his stint as Falconetti in 1976s 'Rich Man, Poor Man'. In excellent shape and healthy living. McFarland, pg. Smith has been described as the "greatest bad-guy character actor of our time".[5]. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ 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. 5 William Smith has died Credit: CBS 5 William fought Clint in Any Which Way You Can Credit: Alamy William Smith, star of Laredo and Rich Man, Poor Man, has died at 88 years old. After returning to California, Smith continued acting and starred in films like 'Run, Angel, Run! ", Smith would take part in another classic screen brawl, this one with Rod Taylor, as a bodybuilder in the 1970 film "Darker Than Amber. #RIP #WilliamSmith JC, 'Very open to the idea': Julia Wandelt takes DNA test to verify if she is missing Swiss girl Livia Schepp, Kayla Lemieux: Teacher with prosthetic Z-cup breasts suspended WITH PAY after pics show her dressed as man, 'We have lots to reveal': Madeleine McCann lookalike Julia Wandelt posts footage of meeting with PI probing claims, Lindsay Clancy case: Psychologist reveals psychosis red flags family members could have spotted, Horror at Larchwood Care! 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. [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. 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. He was 88. He was a regular on the 1961 ABC television series The Asphalt Jungle, portraying police Sergeant Danny Keller. Melissa Roberto covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. Mr. Smiths wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said he died at the Motion Picture and Television Funds Country House and Hospital. He was 88. 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. Download our fantastic, new and improved free App for the best ever Sun Online experience. Smith was involved in a fight scene alongside Clint Eastwood in the 1980 movie Any Which Way You Can. His wife,. 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. },false) Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. hitType: 'event', 2023 COLD WIRE MEDIA. pg.acq.push(function() { document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Cherry Festival Carnival Ride Nearly Topples Over (Video). 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.. ga('ads.send', { His films and TV performances bring me great viewing pleasure. Throughout his life, he was interested in bodybuilding and boxing. Whos the baddest of the movie badmen? In addition to his Hollywood legacy, the Missouri native was also a bodybuilder, a champion discus thrower and a published poet. Actor William Smith, who played cowboys, brawlers and no-nonsense tough guys in nearly 300 films and television shows, has died at 88 . 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 & 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. hitType: 'event', Smith is survived by his wife, son, William E. Smith III, and daughter, Sherri Anne Cervelli. 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?) Mr. Smith had more than 300 acting credits listed on IMDb from 1954 to 2020. }); 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.. Hes definitely tough as nails but he had the heart of a poet, she said. The TV actor William Smith died at the age of 88. pg.acq.push(function() { He was 88. RIP, Big Bill, A sad day for Classic HFO fans. 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. At UCLA where he earned his Masters Degree, he was an elite discus thrower. 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". 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. 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. The actor William Smith in 1978. What a badass legend. She declined to give the cause of death. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quoted by CNN, the New York Times, and Macleans. Legal Statement. 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. Smith was 88 years old. }); The other was one of the most "realistic brawl scenes of all time," per theDaily Mail, when Smith squared off against Rod Taylor in the film "Darker Than Amber.". William Smith, god-tier among the grindhouse greats, has left us. "And so the fight was on. 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}} He was 88. No cause of death was immediately made public. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Grandmother with dementia died from face wound neglected by staff for days. He was 88. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. eventAction: 'view' In 1976, Smith was also part of the first miniseries on American television, "Rich Man, Poor Man" on ABC.