Trivia

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.

Studied kung fu for eight years with Jimmy Woo and kenpo karate master Ed Parker.

Two-time Arm Wrestling World Champion--200-lb. class, Petaluma, CA.

Threw the discus 151 feet at a time when the top AAU distance was 150.6 feet.

Spoke fluent French, Italian, and Russian.

Had a 31-1 record as an amateur boxer

Filmed an eight-minute test pilot portraying Caine for the TV series Kung Fu (1972), wearing prosthetic eyepieces to make him appear Chinese. The network wanted Smith for the role, but producer Jerry Thorpe ultimately deemed him too muscular and menacing.

Won the Light-Heavyweight German-Austrian Boxing Championship while in the US Air Force.

Inducted into the Venice Muscle Beach Bodybuilding Hall of Fame 2010.

Fought California wildfires in the early 1950s.

Honorary member of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures.

Won a Muscle Beach contest by performing 35 inverted handstand dips

Appeared in the final episode of Batman (1966), the first episode of The Rockford Files (1974), and although he was in the final season cast, he was not in the final episode of Hawaii Five-O (1968), he received on-screen credit only.

Held the US Air Force Light-Heavyweight Weightlifting Championship.

Training partner of first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott.

Worked as a lifeguard on the French Riviera.

Played semi-pro football for the Wiesbaden Flyers in Germany.

Competed as a downhill skier in AAU events at Mammoth Mountain, CA.

Turned down the role of Tarzan at MGM but later stunt-doubled for former Tarzan Lex Barker while living in France.

Lifetime Achievement Award from Academy of Bodybuilding and Fitness

Had one son (William Emmett Smith III) with first wife, Michele Smith, and one daughter (Sherri Anne Cervelli DOB: April 24, 1980) with his second wife, Joanne Cervelli.

Being a record-holder for reverse-curling his own body weight was a rumor. The correct weight he reverse-curled was 163 lbs.

His parents were William E. Smith (1891-1973) and Emily (Richards) Smith (1895-1976). He and his elder sister (by two years), Emily, were named for their parents. William was born on his mother's 38th birthday.

Recipient of the 2005 Southern California Motion Picture Council Award and of the 2008 Silver Spur Award.

His favorite writer was Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Worked as a trainer at [XXXXX]'s Hollywood Gym.

During a 4 year stint in the U S Air Force he held the Light Heavyweight Weightlifting title.

Speaks fluent Russian, German and French.

Holds an arts degree.