All in a days work.". Ms. Smith said in a phone interview on Sunday that besides the tough guy roles that made her husband a star onscreen, he had a compassionate side as well. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Young actors often would talk to him between workout sets, and he would share advice, sometimes inviting them to his home to discuss upcoming auditions. He started his career way back in the 40's and is still going strong. His wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed his passing to the Hollywood Reporter. And he played Detective James "Kimo" Carew in the final season of the original "Hawaii Five-O" on CBS in 1979 and 1980. "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. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He played Natalie Wood's character's father in Rebel Without a Cause. Smith was 88 years old. His wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed that the action star passed away at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital on July 5. She did not specify the cause. 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'. One of his earliest leading roles was as Joe Riley, a good-natured Texas Ranger on the NBC western series Laredo (19651967). Personal Quotes (2) Sammy [ Sammy Davis Jr.] was really good friends with Peter Brown. 5 William Smith has died Credit: CBS 5 William fought Clint in Any Which Way You Can Credit: Alamy [8], For other people named William Smith, see, Louis Paul (2007). "; his character beats and rapes Amanda Blake's character Miss Kitty Russell and shoots her twice in the back. Television and action star William Smithhas diedat 88,The Hollywood Reporterconfirmed on July 9. The TV actor William Smith died at the age of 88. Smith has been described as the "greatest bad-guy character actor of our time".[5]. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { 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. 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. The actor also played Detective James "Kimo" Carew in the final 1979 season of Hawaii Five-O. She declined to give the cause of death. 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. The Sun is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. In excellent shape and healthy living. Who do you cast to make Clint Eastwood break a sweat in a fistfight? Although it was reported that Smith retired from film in 2014 with his last screen appearance, he did make a cameo appearance in the Steve Carell comedy, Irresistible (2020). R.I.P. Action star William Smith, known for his roles in "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Laredo," died Monday, according to the New York Post. Whos the baddest of the movie badmen? With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Smith was a . #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! Joanne Cervelli Smith, his wife of 31 years, confirmed the actor's death to . Smith also was a part of the first miniseries broadcast on American television, Rich Man, Poor Man.. Quoted by CNN, the New York Times, and Macleans. No cause of death was immediately made public. He spent his early days in Columbia, Missouri. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. With his chiseled, mustachioed face and bulging biceps, Mr. Smith was a constant, rugged presence on screen in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, amassing nearly . In addition to his wife, Mr. Smith is survived by his son, William E. Smith III, and his daughter, Sherri Anne Cervelli. 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. hitType: 'event', 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The fact that neither Smith nor Eastwood used body doubles for the scene was confirmed by Smith in a 2014 interview. Smith is survived by his wife of 31 years, Joanne Cervelli Smith and his two children William E. Smith III and Sherri Anne Cervelli. 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. 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. Keep on reading to find out more about one of Smith's most memorable moments on set. She declined to give the cause of death. Smith appeared as heavy Terry Bartell in Darker than Amber in 1970. Along with his wife of 31 years, Smith is survived by his two children, William E. Smith III and Sherri Anne Cervelli. RIP#WilliamSmith#RIPWilliamSmith pic.twitter.com/KbTl0tuVe3. Smith's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed the news of his death to The Hollywood Reporter, but did not mention the cause. Spoke fluent French, Italian, and Russian. Tremendous screen presence. Before he was known as a bodybuilder and tough guy, Smith was a child actor in Hollywood. 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). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Cherry Festival Carnival Ride Nearly Topples Over (Video). }); Joanne Cervelli Smith, his wife of 31 years, confirmed the actor's death in USA TODAY on Friday. Nicolas Cage's mom, 85, battled schizophrenia, How did Lisa Banes die? The man has nearly 300 roles in both films and television. He was 88. McFarland, pg. ", A fourth commentator added: "REMEMBER HIM WELLalways thought he should be a leading man with his looksbut seemed always the slightly sleazy tough guyRIP William Smith". Actor William Smith, who played cowboys, brawlers and no-nonsense tough guys in nearly 300 films and television shows, has died at 88 . pg.acq.push(function() { ", Smith would take part in another classic screen brawl, this one with Rod Taylor, as a bodybuilder in the 1970 film "Darker Than Amber. Larry Karaszewski, a writer on "American Crime Story," tweeted out that Smith was such a "bad***" that he "thought he'd never die." 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. 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. }); Fans took to Twitter and posted messages of condolence for the iconic actor remembering his great performances. He also played Conan the Barbarians (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) father in the 1982 film Conan. Mountain Climber Movie Actor Movie Actress Music Producer Non-fiction Author Novelist She declined to give the cause of death. ga('ads.send', { 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. Actor William Smith, known for playing bikers, cowboys and brawlers in a series of television shows and hit movies, has died. That's how you become a cult actor. 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One fan wrote, "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'. William Smith, god-tier among the grindhouse greats, has left us. pic.twitter.com/tMc8fKJBa5, Phoef Sutton (@phoefsutton) July 10, 2021. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ and Company', 'Chrome and Hot Leather,' 'Gentle Savage' and 'Eye of the Tiger'. 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. }) Both walked away with broken bones. American actor William Smith, circa 1975. To me, it was like the hand-to-hand combat version of the Battle of Bloody Porch. hitType: 'event', William Smith. In addition to wife Joanne, Smith leaves behind a daughter, Sherri, and a son,William III. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' Your email address will not be published. Although often typecast as an anti-social personality, he sporadically got other kinds of roles as a law enforcement officer or an anti-heroic protagonist. The Heartbreaking Death Of Action Star William Smith. He was 88.