- Born
- Died
- Nickname
- Big Bill
- Height6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
- William Smith was probably best known for his portrayal as "Falconetti" in Rich Man, Poor Man (1976). He first came to the screen as a child actor in films such as Going My Way (1944) and The Song of Bernadette (1943), before entering the service during the Korean War, where his fluency in foreign languages landed him in the N.S.A. Security Squadron 6907.
While working towards his doctorate, he landed a contract with MGM and never looked back. Over the next thirty years, Smith became one of the kings of B-movie and television villainy.
Smith died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles in 2021, aged 88.- IMDb mini biography by: Warren C. Staib (updated by R.M. Sieger)
- SpousesJoanne Cervelli(1989 - July 5, 2021) (his death, 1 child)Michele(1969 - 1989) (divorced, 1 child)
- ChildrenSherri Anne Cervelli
- ParentsWilliam Emmett Smith Sr.Emily J. Richards
- RelativesJoy Windsor(Sibling)
- Gender / Gender identityMale
- 18 1/4 inch arms
- Competed in motocross events with Steve McQueen and doubled as one of the track riders in C.C. & Company (1970).
- Performed over 5,100 continuous sit-ups over a five-hour period.
- Bruce Lee personally offered Smith the co-lead in Enter the Dragon (1973), but another film went over schedule and John Saxon stepped into the role.
- Direct descendant of Western figures Kit Carson and Daniel Boone.
- Child actor in both "A" and "B" movies of the 1940s. He stated in a horror magazine that during breaks on the set of The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), in which Smith played a village boy, the film's star Lon Chaney Jr., treated all of the children on the set to ice cream.
- Sammy [Sammy Davis Jr.] was really good friends with Peter Brown. Peter got married to a French girl, Yvette. He had this little ceremony in this church in Beverly Hills. Sammy . . . and Dean Martin were there. Dean Martin fell sound asleep just before Peter said "I do" [makes loud snoring noises]. But Dean Martin was one of the nicest guys I ever met in my life.
- [about the first time he met co-star Neville Brand on the set of their series Laredo (1965)] Neville looked like he'd been hit by a truck. He was half dressed. He growled and mugged and scratched himself for half an hour, but Neville was one of the most decorated war heroes . . . In his own way he was a great guy. Neville did good fight scenes, but he couldn't ride a horse. He'd get on a horse about 20 yards away from the camera and he'd come a-runnin'. He'd get about 10 yards away in towards the camera and he'd fall on his face. I don't think he ever made one shot where he completed a ride in two years. But he was a pretty good guy and he thought he was a tough guy but he couldn't punch his way through a wet cracker. He had a little problem with alcohol. He'd come up to me and hit me about that hard [indicates very soft tap] and I'd joke, "Oh, Neville, don't hit me no more, please" . . . I'd get him some coffee and he'd be fine. I didn't have any problem with him, but I think some of the people with the network didn't like him.
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