Who do you cast to make Clint Eastwood break a sweat in a fistfight? William Smith, god-tier among the grindhouse greats, has left us. May his soul Rest In Peace. hitType: 'event', LOS ANGELES (AP) _ John Smith, who changed his name from Robert Earl Van Orden as a joke, then gained starring roles in the TV westerns ``Laramie and ``Cimarron City, has died at age 63. He was 88. Market data provided by Factset. ga('ads.send', { With his chiseled . 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. His other movie appearances include Darker Than Amber (1970), The Frisco Kid (1979), The Outsiders (1983), and Red Dawn (1984) in a career with more than 300 acting credits. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), In fact, his career spanned over several decades with his first official TV credit in the 1950s, according to IMDb. [1], Smith died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Los Angeles, on July 5, 2021, at the age of 88. Not only was Smith an action star, but he was known as atough guy and appeared in two of the biggest brawls in movie history. Smith is survived by Joanne, his wife of 31 years, and his son, William E. Smith III and daughter, Sherri Anne Cervell. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. In 1972, he appeared in a Columbo episode "The Greenhouse Jungle" as Ken Nichols, a handsome swindler who may be a person of interest in Columbo's murder investigation. Television and action star William Smithhas diedat 88,The Hollywood Reporterconfirmed on July 9. 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 . eventAction: 'click_image_ads' 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. . gads_event = event; Wayne Shorter (19332023), jazz saxophonist who co-founded Weather Irma Serrano (19332023), Mexicos La Tigresa singer and Ricou Browning (19302023), Creature from the Black Lagoons Jerry Richardson (19362023), Carolina Panthers founder, Wayne Shorter (19332023), jazz saxophonist who co-founded Weather Report, Irma Serrano (19332023), Mexicos La Tigresa singer and actress, Ricou Browning (19302023), Creature from the Black Lagoons Gill-man, Burny Mattinson (19352023), Disney animator for decades. },false) 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. 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. In 1985, Smith landed the starring role of Brodie Hollister in the short-lived Disney Western series Wildside, created by writer-producer Tom Greene, and another role as the bookmaker Dutchman's strongarm enforcer known simply as "Panama Hat", in director Richard Brooks's final movie, Fever Pitch (1985) opposite Ryan O'Neal.