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William Smith, a working Hollywood actor. One whose face, is probably more recognizable than his name. Lending his unstoppable presence to over four hundred films and television appearances, his eclectic body of work spans every genre.
Smith made his stage debut, at the Los Angeles Friars Club, in Down To Earth. He starred, with Warren Oates at the Player's Ring, in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. As Stanley Kowalske, in A Streetcar Named Desire, the reviews were outstanding. Bill received accolades for his performance, at the Palladium in South Africa, as Duke Mantee in The Petrified Forest.In spite of his scholarly background, his dangerous good looks made him a natural to be cast in the black hat. Some of these more notable performances are as the outlaw in The Ultimate Warrior, as Gene Wilders' nemesis in The Frisco Kid and the Russian Colonel in Red Dawn. Taking screen villainy to new heights as Falconetti in Rich Man, Poor Man, Smith was nominated for an EMMY.
Now and then Bill does get to play a good guy, as with Kurt Russell in Mean Season, as Schwarzeneggers' awesome father in Conan The Barbarian and the fighter set up to do battle with Eastwood in Any Which Way You Can. He became a regular in such TV series as Laredo, The Asphalt Jungle, Zero One, Hawaii Five-O and Wildside.
Unknown to most is that Bill was the last televised Marlboro Man, for which the commercial won a CLIO Award. In the early 70's Smith was one of the three highest marketable stars on the film market, in the Orient. Still tremendously popular on the International scene, many "straight to video" films are sold solely on his appearance.