William Smith (actor)
William Smith | |
|---|---|
Smith in Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973) | |
| Born | William Emmett Smith March 24, 1933 Columbia, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | July 5, 2021 (aged 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other names |
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| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1942–2020 |
| Spouses | Michele Smith
(m. 1969; div. 1989)Joanne Cervelli (m. 1989) |
| Children | William E. Smith III Sherri Anne Cervelli |
| Website | williamsmith |
William Emmett Smith Jr. (March 24, 1933 – July 5, 2021) was an American actor and stunt performer. His career spanned nearly 80 years across film and television, often in imposing or villainous character roles.
Smith starred as Texas Ranger Joe Riley on the Western television series Laredo (1965-67), and played the menacing Anthony Falconetti in the acclaimed television mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man (1976) and Rich Man, Poor Man Book II (1976-77). He played prominent roles in films like Any Which Way You Can (1980), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Rumble Fish (1983), and Red Dawn (1984). He was also a leading man in several exploitation and action films, during the 1970s and 1990s.