(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.". Personal Quotes (2) Sammy [ Sammy Davis Jr.] was really good friends with Peter Brown. The Tragic Death Of Action Star William Smith. Laredo star William Smith died on Monday at the age of 88. In 1995, Smith received a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Bodybuilding and Fitness. The Tragic Death Of Action Star William Smith - NickiSwift.com ga('ads.send', { Before he was known as a bodybuilder and tough guy, Smith was a child actor in Hollywood. She declined to give the cause of death. To me, it was like the hand-to-hand combat version of the Battle of Bloody Porch. He was 31-1 in amateur boxing bouts and was also an accomplished arm wrestler, winning multiple championships in the 200-pound weight class. pg.acq.push(function() { MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. So insanely violent for its time. 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. William Smith (19332021), actor known for Laredo, Rich Man, Poor 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. His family later moved to Southern California, and Mr. Smith immediately began to seek work in films, finding jobs as a child performer and later as a studio extra. eventAction: 'click_ads' With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Smith was a constant, rugged presence on screen in . ICONIC actor William Smith, who tussled with Clint Eastwood in the movies, has died at the age of 88. document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ Fans took to Twitter and posted messages of condolence for the iconic actor remembering his great performances. pic.twitter.com/UJVpOSTted, R.I.P to the Hollywood Man himself William Smith. William Smith (actor) - Wikipedia 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). His wife,. 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 was in the Season 12 Classic HFO season 1979-1980. Mr. Smiths wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said he died at the Motion Picture and Television Funds Country House and Hospital. The Columbia, Mo., native solidified his Hollywood status after tussling onscreen with actors like Clint Eastwood, Nick Nolte and Yul Brynner. He was reportedly also fluent in French, German and Serbo-Croatian.[3]. 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. 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. Who do you cast to make Clint Eastwood break a sweat in a fistfight? Thanks for contacting us. 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. Actor William Smith, who was famous for starring in television shows like 'Hawaii Five-O' and 'Laredo', has died. THE COLD WIRE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF COLD WIRE MEDIA. So insanely violent for its time. 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. Wayne LaFarr/YouTube. He was 88. "It was to my immense delight that I immediately recognized the actor playing Jack Wilson," Ebert wrote. Tales from the Cult Film Trenches: Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema. The Duke and Duchess are not as 'stunned' about the . Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. He was throwing punches with Rod Taylor for the 1970 film Darker Than Amber when the two began fighting each other for real. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { 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. The movie actor William Hopper died at the age of 55. The cause of the actor's death is unknown yet. Along with his wife of 31 years, Smith is survived by his two children, William E. Smith III and Sherri Anne Cervelli. 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. 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. At the time, Smith was just 8 years old (via Deadline). 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. In 1967, Smith guest starred as Jude Bonner on James Arness's long-lived western Gunsmoke. eventAction: 'render' eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), One fan commented, "I'll never forget that fearsome brawl between Rod Taylor and William Smith in Darker than Amber. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), William Smith. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Smith was a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. So insanely violent for its time. 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. Anyone can read what you share. His career spans 60 years of acting in some of the most popular films and television shows of all time. Smith is survived by his wife, son, William E. Smith III, and daughter, Sherri Anne Cervelli. He spent his early days in Columbia, Missouri. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Actor William Smith, known for playing bikers, cowboys and brawlers in a series of television shows and hit movies, has died. Smith was involved in a fight scene alongside Clint Eastwood in the 1980 movie Any Which Way You Can. William Smith, star of Laredo and Rich Man, Poor Man, has died at 88 years old. What a badass legend. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), She declined to give the cause of death. His wife Joanne Cervelli Smith, who confirmed the news to THR, didn't reveal the cause for his death. 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Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. 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. One of those great men you thought would live forever. } 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. His character was a boxer named Jack Smith. She did not reveal the cause of his death. Smith was a fascinating guy who had many interests that extended beyond acting. John Smith, Star of 'Laramie,' 'Cimarron City,' Dies at 63 ", Another fan wrote: "Farewell to the last great Bad Ass of TV & movies, William Smith. A fluent Russian speaker, during the Korean War Smith was a Russian Intercept Interrogator and flew secret ferret missions over the Russian SFSR. One of which was with Clint Eastwood in the film"Any Which Way You Can." 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. He died. RIP: Famous actor and athlete William Smith, star of such titles as Laredo and Rich Man, Poor Man, has died at the age of 88; seen here circa 1975 'Laredo,' 'Any Which Way You Can' actor William Smith dead at 88 The cause of death is unknown. }) Jodie teamed the look . He was 88. Besides all of these skills and interests, Smith was a poet. 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.. A lifelong bodybuilder, Smith was a record holder for reverse-curling his own body weight. & 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. He was 88. Rest in Prominence & Peace, Big Bill. }); This man was one of the best actors Ive ever seen. However, his first role was an uncredited one where he played a village boy in "The Ghost of Frankenstein" in 1942. R.I.P William Smith & thanks for the memories. According to Famous Net Worth, William Smith was worth $7 million when he died.