His wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed that the action star passed away at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital on July 5. William Smith is just that. 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. William Henry Redfield (January 26, 1927 - August 17, 1976) was an American actor and author who appeared in many theatrical, film, radio, and television roles. Another Twitter user said that Smith was "one of the all time greats," and it's true. ", Another tweeted, "Rest in Peace, William Smith. It was the final season. Bodybuilder and American Gladiator Billy Smith Dies At Age 56 American Gladiator legend and bodybuilder Billy Smith, AKA Thunder has passed away days before his 57th birthday Written by Derek Hall Last Updated on August 25, 2021 Photo via Instagram @americangladiatorstv 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Laredo star William Smith died on Monday at the age of 88. The actor was famously known for his stint as Falconetti in 1976s 'Rich Man, Poor Man'. Suzzanne Douglas, star of 'The Parent 'Hood' and 'When They See Us,' dead at 64. In addition to his acting career, Smith enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean War in 1951 and was recruited by the National Security Agency due to his fluency in multiple languages. A lifelong bodybuilder, Smith was a record holder for reverse-curling his own body weight. In addition to wife Joanne, Smith leaves behind a daughter, Sherri, and a son,William III. Television and action star William Smithhas diedat 88,The Hollywood Reporterconfirmed on July 9. All rights reserved. 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). Thanks for contacting us. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. And during the course of his life, he put his thoughts and feelings down on paper in the form of poetry. In 1995, Smith received a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Bodybuilding and Fitness. The star of 1980's Any . MALIBU, Calif. (AP) _ Brian Keith, the burly actor best known as Uncle Bill on the TV sitcom ``Family Affair, did not want to wait in a hospital for cancer to take his life. ", 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.". hitType: 'event', . The coroner said Smith's death "has William Smith was an American actor, who played bikers, brawlers, cowboys, and no-nonsense tough guys in films and television shows including "Any Which Way You Can," "Laredo," "Rich Man, Poor Man" has died at the age 88 on Monday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and he was hospital in Woodland Hills, his demise was confirmed by During the Korean War in the early '50s, Smith was "flying on secret missions over Russia and other Eastern Bloc countries" (via his official site), and could speak fluently in Russian, German, French, and Serbo-Croatian. She did not disclose his cause of death. William Smith, the actor, known for his roles on "Laredo," "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Hawaii Five-O," has died at 88. Reports: Chick Vennera, 'Golden Girls' and 'Thank God It's Friday' actor, dies at 74. He came from a prominent theatrical family as his mother had been a popular stage actress as well as a model while his father was a theater ticket broker. [1], Smith died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Los Angeles, on July 5, 2021, at the age of 88. }); 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. LOS ANGELES (AP) Actor William Smith, who played bikers, brawlers, cowboys and no-nonsense tough guys in films and television . He was 88. ", Another tweeted, "A sad day for Classic HFO fans. Tales from the Cult Film Trenches: Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema. Smith was involved in a fight scene alongside Clint Eastwood in the 1980 movie Any Which Way You Can. He was 88. 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. 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 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Along with his wife of 31 years, Smith is survived by his two children, William E. Smith III and Sherri Anne Cervelli. He was 88. & 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. 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.. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ }); Actor William Smith, who was famous for starring in television shows like 'Hawaii Five-O' and 'Laredo', has died. William Smith Obituary: In the loving memory of William Smith, we are saddened to inform you that William Smith, a beloved and loyal friend, has passed away. Action star William Smith, known for his roles in "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Laredo," died Monday, according to the New York Post. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. However, news of his death has saddened the industry which is already mourning the loss of a lot of great actors recently. Smith was a fascinating person with a diverse background. } Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. He was 88. However, they divorced in May 1967. 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. Television and action star William Smith has died at 88, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on July 9. His wife . 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Horror legend dead at 93: Ricou Browning was Creature From Black Lagoon, Vanessa Bryant awarded $29M in suit over Kobe helicopter crash photos, Sizemores family deciding end-of-life matters after brain aneurysm, Hayden Panettieres brothers cause of death revealed. [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. So insanely violent for its time. Hislegacy as an action star of both film and television for several decades will live on. One of which was with Clint Eastwood in the film"Any Which Way You Can." Along with appearing in films, William Smith also made his mark in television. 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 would later become an elite discus thrower at UCLA, a martial arts black belt and a champion arm-wrestler. In 1972 he married the actor Pamela Miles. This story has been shared 101,080 times. William Smith (March 24, 1933 - July 5, 2021) was an American actor. ga('ads.send', { William Smith. 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?) eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Smith has been described as the "greatest bad-guy character actor of our time".[5]. BBC News Heartbeat actor William Simons, who charmed Sunday evening viewers for nearly two decades as easygoing veteran PC Alf Ventress, has died aged 79. hitType: 'event', window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Smith's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said the star. R.I.P William Smith & thanks for the memories. 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. William Smith, a longtime film and TV tough guy, passed away on Monday, July 5th, as confirmed by his wife Joanne Cervelli Smith. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Born in Columbia, Missouri on March 24, 1933, Smith debuted as a child actor in 1942 in films like 'The Ghost of Frankenstein', 'The Song of Bernadette' and 'Meet Me in St. Louis' at the age of 8. window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} 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 actors. A Washington . They were still obviously drawn to one another, though, and got remarried a couple months later in August 1967.. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' Beginning at eight years old, he earned small, uncredited roles in the movies The Ghost of Frankenstein and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. July 11, 2021 William Smith, an actor known for his portrayals of villains and his onscreen movie brawls, died on July 5 in Woodland Hills, Calif. Pigott-Smith was found dead on 7 April 2017, aged 70. Bill could ride almost before he . Falconetti and William Smith. Age: 93, Actor, Cause of death: Natural Causes 12th April 2020 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. In a Hollywood career spanning more than 75 years, he appeared in almost three hundred feature films and television productions in a wide variety of character roles, with his best known role being the menacing Anthony Falconetti in the 1970s television mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man. }); GLEE STAR HEATHER MORRIS HONORS NAYA RIVERA WITH TRIBUTE TATTOO: TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED, American actor William Smith, circa 1975. May his soul Rest In Peace. In 1972 and 1975, respectively, he appeared in two popular Blaxploitation films, Hammer and the controversially titled Boss Nigger, both with Fred Williamson. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. William Smith was born on March 24, 1933, in Columbia, Missouri, on a Hereford cattle ranch owned by his family. Rest in peace to a great actor. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of In excellent shape and healthy living. Deadline noted that Smithpursued higher educationin Syracuse, Munich, and Paris before he graduated Cum Laude from UCLA, earning a master's degree. pg.acq.push(function() { 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. The cause of the actor's death is unknown yet. He was 88. Throughout his career, Smith was known for persevering in a cutthroat industry. Action star William Smith, known for his roles in "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Laredo," died Monday, according to the New York Post. 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]. He had previously appeared with Jack Lord in Stoney Burke. (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.". Those uncredited roles early in his career served as motivation for him to make it big, but Smith also did not give up on his schooling. The cause of his death has not been disclosed. "; his character beats and rapes Amanda Blake's character Miss Kitty Russell and shoots her twice in the back. After he and his family moved to Southern California, an eight-year-old Smith appeared as an uncredited child extra on "The Ghost of Frankenstein" with Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr., and he also had roles in "The Song of Bernadette," "Going My Way," "Meet Me in St. Louis," and "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" (via WFTV 9). Early years [ edit ] Born in New York City, Redfield was the son of Henry C. Redfield and the former Mareta A. George. In 1976, Smith was also part of the first miniseries on American television, "Rich Man, Poor Man" on ABC. hitType: 'event', USE OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY. We've received your submission. Smith's wife,Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed the news of his death to The Hollywood Reporter, but did not mention the cause. In 2009, Smith published The Poetic Works of William Smith. Later in his career, he was the "go-to-guy" for biker films, like "The Losers" and "Chrome and Hot Leather," in the 1970s. On Gunsmoke, Smith appeared[4] in a 1972 episode, "Hostage! You can reach her at Melissa.Roberto@fox.com. pic.twitter.com/tMc8fKJBa5, Phoef Sutton (@phoefsutton) July 10, 2021. However, his first role was an uncredited one where he played a village boy in "The Ghost of Frankenstein" in 1942. William Smith. His death was attributed to natural causes. The fact that neither Smith nor Eastwood used body doubles for the scene was confirmed by Smith in a 2014 interview. The cause was cirrhosis of the liver, according to a spokesman for . A cause of death was not revealed. He was so convincing as a villain that people attacked him in the streets! 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. 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His character was a boxer named Jack Smith. William Emmett Smith (March 24, 1933 July 5, 2021) was an American actor. Heflew on secretmissions over the Soviet Unionand Eastern Bloc countries, according to a statement shared by his wife. [1] Smith later reported that Taylor was "a very tough guy" who broke three of his ribs while he broke Taylor's nose.[7]. 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. and Company', 'Chrome and Hot Leather,' 'Gentle Savage' and 'Eye of the Tiger'. 5 William Smith has died Credit: CBS 5 William fought Clint in Any Which Way You Can Credit: Alamy William Smith was in the Season 12 Classic HFO season 1979-1980. 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. Nicolas Cage's mom, 85, battled schizophrenia, How did Lisa Banes die? 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"). Smith began his long Hollywood career as a child actor in the 40s, when his family moved to Southern California from the Dust Bowl. ", 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'.