An actor known best for his appearances in soap opera “Dallas” and sci-fi series “Star Trek” has sadly passed away at the age of 98.
William Smithers was born on July 10, 1927, in Richmond, Virginia. Per an obituary in the Santa Barbara Independent, he passed away in Santa Barbara, California, on Tuesday, May 26. No specific cause of death was disclosed.
The son of Marion Wilkinson Smithers and Marion Albany Smithers (née Thompson), Smithers made his acting debut on stage.
In 1947, when he was 20, Smithers played the role of Thomas Jefferson in the first performance of Paul Green’s symphonic drama “The Common Glory.” Four years later, in 1951, he made his Broadway debut playing Tybalt in a production of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
His television career began in 1952 with a role in a single episode of drama series “Goodyear Television Playhouse.” That year, he also landed an ongoing role as Stanley “Stan” Norris in the soap opera “Guiding Light.”
It marked the beginning of a prolific acting career that included further roles on both the small and big screens.
William Smithers’ Subsequent Television Roles
William Smithers’ subsequent television credits included a wide range of popular shows.
In the 1950s, those credits included the likes of mystery series “Suspense,” drama series “General Electric Theater,” and drama series “Studio One.” In the 1960s, he appeared in shows like drama series “The Witness,” soap opera “Peyton Place,” and sci-fi series “Star Trek” (Trekkies will undoubtedly remember him playing Merik). The 1970s saw Smithers appear in the likes of superhero series “The Amazing Spider-Man,” legendary sci-fi action series “The Six Million Dollar Man,” and drama series “Executive Suite.”
The 1980s saw Smithers land his most memorable role as J.R.’s enemy Jeremy Wendell in the iconic soap opera “Dallas.” He also nabbed roles in action comedy series “Scarecrow and Mrs. King” and action comedy series “Sledge Hammer!”
As his career slowed down in the 1990s, his credits lessened. However, he still appeared in shows like police drama series “Hunter” and the contemporary Western action series “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
Smithers’ Movie Roles
William Smithers also appeared in several movies, which included theatrical releases and television films.
Theatrical movies he appeared in included the 1956 war movie “Attack,” the 1972 blaxploitation crime movie “Trouble Man,” the 1973 spy movie “Scorpio”, the 1973 prison movie “Papillon,” and the 1978 sci-fi B-movie “Deathsport.”
On television, he appeared in made-for-TV films like 1953’s Shakespearean drama “Hamlet,” 1954’s adventure film “The Shadow,” 1968’s action movie “Call to Danger,” 1969’s mystery thriller “The Monk,” 1971’s drama movie “The Neon Ceiling,” and 1980’s romantic comedy-drama “Where the Ladies Go.”
Smithers had been married three times, to June Laverne Walsh from 1948 until 1951, to Claire Anne Heller from 1955 until 1960, and to Lorrie Hull from 1995 until her passing in 2022.
He is survived by his daughter, actress Dianne Hull, whose mother is Smithers’ third wife, Lorrie.
We’d like to send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of William Smithers at this sad time. May he rest in eternal peace.
William Smithers’ filmography and some personal info was courtesy of IMDb.
