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William Smithers | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1927-07-10)July 10, 1927 (age 98) Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1951–2011 |
| Spouse(s) | S. Loraine Boos Hull (1995-2022); her death[1] |
William Smithers (born July 10, 1927) is an American actor, perhaps best known for his recurring role as Jeremy Wendell in the television seriesDallas. He appeared in the series in 1981 and from 1984 to 1989.
Smithers was born on July 10, 1927, inRichmond, Virginia, the son of systems engineer Marion Wilkinson Smithers and Marion Albany Smithers (née Thompson).[2]
In 1951, he made his Broadway debut as Tybalt in theDwight Deere Wiman production ofRomeo and Juliet, starringOlivia de Havilland; for this performance he received a Theater World Award.[3][4] In 1952, he was accepted as a life member ofThe Actors Studio.[5] In 1957, he received anObie Award for his portrayal of Treplev inAnton Chekhov'sThe Seagull.[6]
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His other Broadway plays includedJean Anouilh'sLegend of Lovers,Calder Willingham'sEnd as a Man, (begun as a project at the Actors Studio),Carson McCullers'sThe Square Root of Wonderful andTerence Rattigan'sMan and Boy (performed in London and New York).
Off-Broadway, he played leading roles inFrank Gilroy'sWho'll Save the Plowboy? (Obie Award, Best Drama), Willingham'sEnd as a Man (before the production went to Broadway),Sean O'Casey'sShadow of a Gunman (also begun as a Studio project) andGeorge Bellak'sThe Troublemakers.
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In 1965, Smithers moved to Los Angeles to play "David Schuster" in the television seriesPeyton Place for nine months. He also played Stanley Norris on the soap operaGuiding Light from 1970 to 1971, and, from 1976 to 1977, was a cast member in the seriesExecutive Suite.
He has appeared in nearly 400 television productions, includingThe Invaders,Barnaby Jones,Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,Star Trek,Combat,Mission: Impossible, andHawaii Five-O, as well as feature films such asAttack (1956),Trouble Man (1972),Scorpio (1973),Papillon (1973),The Six Million Dollar Man (1974), andDeathsport (1978).
In 1981 and from 1984 to 1989, he played oil baron Jeremy Wendell on the prime-time soap operaDallas.
As the plaintiff inSmithers vs. MGM, despite being threatened with blacklisting should he pursue the matter, he sued the multimillion-dollar corporation to protect his contractual rights with regard to star billing in the 1976 television seriesExecutive Suite. In so doing, he won a case that was appealed as far as theCalifornia Supreme Court, and is now taught inentertainment law courses.[7][8]
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He lived inSanta Barbara, California, with his wife, acting teacher S. Loraine Boos Hull, known as Lorrie Hull Smithers (August 5, 1928 - January 10, 2022).
She authoredStrasberg's Method: As Taught by Lorrie Hull. With Smithers, she co-produced an acting-training DVDThe Method).[9]
From 2003 to 2005, he created, produced and directed theSanta Barbara Theatre of the Air for KCSB radio, broadcasting works of classic and contemporary playwrights.
From 2010 to 2013, he and his wife were co-hosts and co-producers of the Santa Barbara Channels (now TV Santa Barbara) television interview programJust Between Us! Seven episodes of this program were named finalists for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 WAVE (Western Access Video Excellence) Awards.
In 2010 and 2011, Smithers served on the Board of Directors of TV Santa Barbara. In December 2015, he was appointed by the Santa Barbara City Council to the city's Arts Advisory Committee.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Attack | Lt. Harold 'Harry' Woodruff | |
| 1972 | Trouble Man | Captain Joe Marx | |
| 1973 | Scorpio | Mitchell | |
| 1973 | Papillon | Warden Barrot | |
| 1978 | Deathsport | Dr. Karl | |
| 1978 | The Amazing Spider-Man | James Colbert |
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