pg.acq.push(function() { Rest in peace to a great actor. One of which was with Clint Eastwood in the film"Any Which Way You Can." },false) Willie Garson seen on the set of "And Just Like That." the follow up series to "Sex and the City" at the Lyceum Theater on July 24, 2021 in New York City. Smith's wife,Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed the news of his death to The Hollywood Reporter, but did not mention the cause. William Smith is just that. } ET on Sunday (February 26, 2023), our beloved actor Will Smith passed away. William Smith (March 24, 1933 July 5, 2021) was an American actor. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. To me, it was like the hand-to-hand combat version of the Battle of Bloody Porch. gads_event = event; 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. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Smith died Monday in Woodland Hills, calif. Born in Chicago, Ill., he is survived by daughter Mililani; sons William II and Keoni; and brother Jim. It was the final season. Smith was 88 years old. },false) 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. William Smith was probably best known for his portrayal as "Falconetti" in Rich Man, Poor Man (1976). His son Alexander Hurt announced the death in a statement but did not give a cause. 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. Legal Statement. He was so convincing as a villain that people attacked him in the streets! While working towards his doctorate, he landed a contract with MGM and never looked back. . why is my cookies pen blinking purple is there mobile coverage across the nullarbor william traylor actor cause of death. At UCLA where he earned his Masters Degree, he was an elite discus thrower. ', 'The Losers', 'Angels Die Hard', 'C.C. #RIP #WilliamSmith. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. William Hurt, the Oscar-winning star of "Kiss of the Spider Woman," "The Big Chill," and "Broadcast News," has died, his son Will told The Hollywood Reporter. She survives him, along with their son . Born from humble beginnings, Smith grew up on a cattle farm owned by his family in Columbia, Missouri. His films and TV performances bring me great viewing pleasure. 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. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), and Company', 'Chrome and Hot Leather,' 'Gentle Savage' and 'Eye of the Tiger'. eventAction: 'render' document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ His wife,. hitType: 'event', Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Heis survived by his wife, hissonWilliam E. Smith III and his daughterSherri Anne Cervelli. eventAction: 'load' 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. 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. He had been scheduled to appear in a touring production of Death of a Salesman, with opening night in Northampton only three days later. Smith's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the actor died Monday, at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, Calif. A. He also appeared in the 1979 miniseries The Rebels as John Waverly, in an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard as Jason Steele, a bounty hunter hired by Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane to frame the Duke Boys into jail, and in an episode of Knight Rider as Harold Turner, the manipulative leader of a hellish biker gang whom David Hasselhoff's character Michael Knight has to outsmart. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Cherry Festival Carnival Ride Nearly Topples Over (Video). ga('ads.send', { }); Rod is a skilled fighter and at the same time a real scrapper." Having both CIA and NSA clearance, Smith made up his mind to enter a classified position with the US government, but while he was working on his doctorate studies he took on an acting contract with MGM. 1:14. She declined to give the cause of death. He was reportedly also fluent in French, German and Serbo-Croatian.[3]. According to a report by Deadline, the late actor's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed he had passed away July 5th at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. Security Squadron 6907.While working towards his doctorate, he landed a contract with MGM and never looked back. RIP, Big Bill, A sad day for Classic HFO fans. 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 . 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 Way You Can," has died at 88. (Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images). He was 88. por . He was 71. Falconetti and William Smith. In a Hollywood career spanning more than 75 years, he appeared in almost three hundred feature films and television. 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. One of those great men you thought would live forever. William Smith was probably best known for his portrayal as "Falconetti" in Rich Man, Poor Man (1976). American actor William Smith passed away at the age of 88 years old on July 9, 2021. Im watching him now In a bunch of old 70s biker movies .. another surprise. ", Another tweeted, "A sad day for Classic HFO fans. Police said. [1] Smith later reported that Taylor was "a very tough guy" who broke three of his ribs while he broke Taylor's nose.[7]. All rights reserved. William Smith, a longtime film and TV tough guy, passed away on Monday, July 5th, as confirmed by his wife Joanne Cervelli Smith. Later, he joined the cast of "Hawaii Five-O" in its final season as Detective James "Kimo" Carew. In 1976, Smith was also part of the first miniseries on American television, "Rich Man, Poor Man" on ABC. On Gunsmoke, Smith appeared[4] in a 1972 episode, "Hostage! However, they divorced in May 1967. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ & 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 also proprietor of Luana of Hawaii. William E. Simon's Death - Cause and Date Born (Birthday) November 27, 1927 Death Date June 3, 2000 Age of Death 72 years Cause of Death Pulmonary Fibrosis Profession Politician The . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, William Smith. Required fields are marked *. William C. Bill Watson, 59, of Princeville, Kauai, a retired movie actor, died Nov. 5 at home. Pigott-Smith was a keen sportsman, loved the countryside and wrote four short books, three of them for children. R.I.P William Smith & thanks for the memories. ", Another tweeted, "Rest in Peace, William Smith. JENNIFER BOWLES June 25, 1997. 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. 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. Along with appearing in films, William Smith also made his mark in television. 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. She also penned onFacebook, "My heart hurts so badly.". "; his character beats and rapes Amanda Blake's character Miss Kitty Russell and shoots her twice in the back. 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 } A fluent Russian speaker, during the Korean War Smith was a Russian Intercept Interrogator and flew secret ferret missions over the Russian SFSR. Commemorative remembrance: 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Black Pot Beach, Hanalei. John Smith, who starred in the television westerns "Laramie" and "Cimarron City," died on Jan. 25 at his home here. 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 cause of death is unknown. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), He was a regular on the 1961 ABC television series The Asphalt Jungle, portraying police Sergeant Danny Keller. Horror film legend Ricou Browning who 'played all the bad guys' and starred as Gill-man in Creature from the Black Lagoon dies aged 93 from natural causes. In 1967, Smith guest starred as Jude Bonner on James Arness's long-lived western Gunsmoke. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The iconic actor also was a part of the first miniseries broadcast on American television, 'Rich Man, Poor Man'. Hollywood mourned Oscar-winning actor William Hurt Sunday, after his death at 71. His agent described him as "one of the greatest actors of . 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. Gerry Byrne . PerDeadline, Smith began his path to stardom as an extra in 1942's "The Ghost of Frankenstein," and although Smith didn't receive credit for the small role, he got more opportunities, acting in "The Song of Bernadette" and "Meet Me in St. Louis," shortly after, perIMDb. There was a problem getting your location. ga('ads.send', { Another Twitter user said that Smith was "one of the all time greats," and it's true. 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. He is alive and doing just fine. He won the 200-pound (91kg) arm-wrestling championship of the world multiple times and also won the United States Air Force weightlifting championship. 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 His wife Joanne Cervelli Smith, who confirmed the news to THR, didn't reveal the cause for his death. She did not disclose his cause of death. Pigott-Smith was found dead on 7 April 2017, aged 70. Returning to California, Smith continued working steadily throughout the 60s and 70s, becoming an obvious choice when casting cult hit biker films such as Run, Angel, Run!, The Losers, Angels Die Hard, C.C. "It has to be one of the longest two-man fights ever done on film without doubles," Smith said about the fight scene with Clint Eastwood in 'Any Which Way You Can'. His wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, confirmed his passing to the Hollywood Reporter. Besides being highly educated, Smith was known for his build and physique, earning recognition for his action sequences in multiple films. William Smith was in the Season 12 Classic HFO season 1979-1980. According to IMDb, Smith starred in several films and television series from 1942to 2020, including 1942's The Ghost of Frankenstein," 1943'sThe Song of Bernadette" and 1982's "Conan the Barbarian." 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. }) },false) 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. He was inducted into the Muscle Beach Venice Bodybuilding Hall of Fame in 2010 and became an honorary member of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures in 2000. Throughout his career, Smith was known for persevering in a cutthroat industry. (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.". document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ A Washington . Thanks for contacting us. GLEE STAR HEATHER MORRIS HONORS NAYA RIVERA WITH TRIBUTE TATTOO: TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED, American actor William Smith, circa 1975. Laredo star William Smith died on Monday at the age of 88. 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 1970s. ", 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.". In addition to wife Joanne, Smith leaves behind a daughter, Sherri, and a son,William III. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ He also portrayed Texas Ranger Joe Riley in the two seasons of 'Laredo' and then joined the original cast of 'Hawaii Five-O' for its last season. pic.twitter.com/UJVpOSTted, Daily Grindhouse (@DailyGrindhouse) July 9, 2021. 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." 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. This browser for the next time I comment ', function ( ) { Washington. 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