A TV actor who appeared in scores of hit shows from the 1960s to the 1990s has died.
William Smithers, who is credited at 50 Dallas episodes, died on May 26, according to Santa Barbara Independent. He was 98.
He played Jeremy Wendell on Dallaswho fans will remember as a vicious rival oil executive at odds with JR Ewing (Larry Hagman). While this role on the iconic CBS series is his most prominent role, he had a long career as a guest star on major shows and as a supporting actor in films.
Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii Five-O, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, Tarzan, Guiding light, Peyton Place, Ironside, FBI and Walker, Texas Ranger. He also starred in the short-lived CBS show Executive Suitewhich led to him successfully suing producer MGM Television (Smithers vs. MGM) due to a dispute regarding his billing and payment on the program.
In the cinematic world, he appeared as Warden Barrot in the iconic Steve McQueen prison break drama Papillon. He also appeared in the 1973 spy film The Scorpion and the post-apocalyptic cult film Death sport in 1978.
In the later part of his career, Smithers continued to be a prominent figure in the art and media world of Santa Barbara, California.
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