Lane Smith
| Lane Smith | |
|---|---|
 Smith as Perry White in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman |
|
| Born | Walter Lane Smith III April 29, 1936 Memphis, Tennessee |
| Died | June 13, 2005 (aged 69) Northridge, California |
| Occupation | Actor, Presenter |
| Years active | 1966–2005 |
| Spouse | Debbie Benedict (2000–2005) (his death) Sydne MacCall[1] (?-?)(Divorced) |
Walter Lane Smith III (April 29, 1936 – June 13, 2005) was an American actor. Some of his well known roles included portraying collaborator entrepreneur Nathan Bates in the NBC television series V, Mayor Bates in the film Red Dawn, newspaper editor Perry White in the ABC series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, district attorney Jim Trotter III in My Cousin Vinny and American President Richard Nixon in The Final Days, for which he received a Golden Globe award nomination.
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[edit] Early life
Lane Smith was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1936. He graduated from The Leelanau School, a boarding school in Glen Arbor, Michigan where he is enshrined in the school's Hall of Fame,[2] and spent one year boarding at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania[3] before going off to study at the Actors Studio in the late 1950s and early 1960s along with Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino.[4]
[edit] Career
After his graduation, he found steady work in New York theater before making his film debut in Maidstone in 1970. During the 1970s, he regularly made appearances in small film roles including Rooster Cogburn in 1975 and Network in 1976. He also acted on television, notably playing a U.S. Marine in Vietnam in the made for television miniseries A Rumor of War.
He made a major breakthrough in 1984 with significant roles in Red Dawn, Places in the Heart and the television series V. In 1989, Smith gained great recognition for his portrayal of former President Richard Nixon in the docudrama The Final Days. Newsweek praised Smith's role by stating, "is such a good Nixon that his despair and sorrow at his predicament become simply overwhelming." Smith later earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance.[5] He also appeared in the original Broadway stage production of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross as James Lingk. For his role, he received a Drama Desk Award.
In 1990, he appeared in Air America playing a U.S. Senator. Two years later, he played a small-town district attorney opposite Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny, followed by a role as Coach Jack Reilly in The Mighty Ducks. However, it was not until 1993 that Smith landed his first major television role as Perry White in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, for four seasons before ending in 1997. In 1994, he portrayed New York Yankees front officeman Ron in The Scout, along with Albert Brooks (Al Percolo, Yankees scout) and Brendan Fraser (player Steve Nebraska). In 1998, Smith appeared in a major role as fictional television anchorman Emmett Seaborn in the HBO miniseries From The Earth to the Moon. Smith's final film appearance was in The Legend of Bagger Vance in 2000.
[edit] Personal life
Smith was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) in April 2005. He died of the disease at his home in Northridge, California on June 13, 2005 at the age of 69.[5] He was survived by his wife, Debbie Benedict Smith and his son Robertson Smith.[6]
[edit] Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
| 1966 | Unholy Matrimony | Partygoer | Uncredited Role |
| 1970 | Maidstone | ||
| 1973 | The Last American Hero | Rick Penny | |
| Cops and Robbers | Perpetrator | ||
| 1974 | Man on a Swing | Virginia De Leo | |
| 1975 | Rooster Cogburn | Leroy | |
| 1976 | Network | Robert McDonough | |
| 1977 | Between the Lines | Roy Walsh | |
| The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training | Officer Mackle | ||
| 1978 | Blue Collar | Clarence Hill | |
| On the Yard | Blake | ||
| 1980 | Soggy Bottom, USA | Smilin' Jack | |
| On the Nickel | Preacher | ||
| Honeysuckle Rose | Brag, Cotton's manager | ||
| Resurrection | Don | ||
| 1981 | Prince of the City | Tug Barnes | |
| 1982 | Frances | Dr. Symington | |
| 1984 | Purple Hearts | Cmdr. Markel | |
| Red Dawn | Mayor Bates | ||
| Places in the Heart | Albert Denby | ||
| 1986 | Native Son | Britton | |
| 1987 | Weeds | Claude | |
| 1988 | Prison | Warden Eaton Sharpe | |
| 1989 | Race for Glory | Joe Gifford | |
| Night Game | Witty | ||
| 1990 | Air America | Senator Davenport | |
| The Mighty Ducks | Coach Jack Reilly | ||
| 1992 | My Cousin Vinny | D.A. Jim Trotter, III | |
| The Mighty Ducks | Coach Jack Reilly | ||
| The Distinguished Gentleman | Dick Dodge | ||
| 1993 | Son in Law | Walter Warner | |
| 1994 | The Flight of the Dove | Stephen Hahn | |
| The Scout | Ron Wilson | ||
| 1996 | The War at Home | Uncredited Role | |
| 1998 | Getting Personal | Dr. Maddie | |
| Why Do Fools Fall in Love | Ezra Grahme | ||
| The Hi-Lo Country | Steve Shaw | ||
| 2000 | The Caprice | Thunderhead[7] | |
| The Legend of Bagger Vance | Grantland Rice | ||
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1975 | Kojak | Clyde Regan | Episode: Queen of the Gypsies |
| Valley Forge | Spad | NBC TV-Movie | |
| 1975, 1979 | The Rockford Files | Willet CIA Agent Donnegan |
Episode: Claire Episode: The Battle-Ax and the Exploding Cigar |
| 1977 | The Displaced Person | TV-Movie | |
| The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer | NBC TV-Movie | ||
| 1978 | A Death in Canaan | Bob Hartman | CBS TV-Movie |
| Crash | Flight Engineer Romano | ABC TV-Movie | |
| 1979 | The Solitary Man | Jack Collins | CBS TV-Movie |
| Disaster on the Coastliner | John Carlson | ABC TV-Movie | |
| 1980 | City in Fear | Brian | ABC TV-Movie |
| Gideon's Trumpet | Fred Turner | CBS TV-Movie | |
| A Rumor of War | Sgt. William Holgren | CBS Miniseries | |
| The Georgia Peaches | Randolph Dukane | CBS TV-Movie/Unsold TV-Pilot | |
| Mark, I Love You | Don Payer | CBS TV-Movie | |
| 1981 | Dallas | Prosecutor | Episode: Gone, But Not Forgotten |
| Dark Night of the Scarecrow | Harless Hocker | CBS TV-Movie | |
| Hart to Hart | Roy Hamlin | Episode: Hart, Line, and Sinker | |
| 1982 | Prime Suspect | Tom Keating | CBS TV-Movie |
| Thou Shalt Not Kill | Clarence Blake | NBC TV-Movie | |
| Lou Grant | Dr. Lawrence | Episode: Unthinkable | |
| Quincy, M.E. | Dr. Paul Flynn | Episode: Science for Sale | |
| The Member of the Wedding | Mr. Addams | TV-Movie | |
| 1983 | Special Bulletin | Morton Sanders | NBC TV-Movie |
| Chiefs | Hoss Spence | CBS Miniseries | |
| 1984 | Something About Amelia | Officer Dealy | ABC TV-Movie |
| 1984–1985 | V | Nathan Bates | 13 episodes |
| 1985 | Hill Street Blues | Mike | Episode: El Capitan |
| Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues | Captain Max Rosenberg | CBS TV-Movie | |
| Bridge Across Time | Anson Whitfield | NBC TV-Movie | |
| 1986 | Amazing Stories | Dr. Caruso | Episode: Dorothy and Ben |
| The Twilight Zone | Professor Joseph Fitzgerald | Segment: Profile in Silver | |
| Dress Gray | Col. King | NBC TV-Movie | |
| If Tomorrow Comes | Warden Brannigan | CBS Miniseries | |
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Robert Warren | Episode: Happy Birthday | |
| Kay O'Brien | Doctor Robert Moffitt | 13 episodes | |
| 1987 | A Place to Call Home | Sam | CBS TV-Movie |
| 1988 | In the Heat of the Night | Sonny Mims | Episode: Road Kill |
| Killer Instinct | Dr. Butler | NBC TV-Movie | |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Pol. Chief Underwood | Episode: The Search for Peter Kerry |
| The Final Days | Richard Nixon | Golden Globe Award (nominated) ABC TV-Movie |
|
| 1990 | Challenger | Larry Mulloy | ABC TV-Movie |
| Blind Vengeance | Col. Blanchard | NBC TV-Movie | |
| 1991 | Good Sports | R.J. Rappaport | 21 episodes |
| Good & Evil | Harlan Shell | ||
| False Arrest | Martin Busey | ABC TV-Movie | |
| 1992 | Duplicates | Mr. Fryman | USA Network TV-Movie |
| 1993–1997 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Perry White | 84 episodes |
| 1994 | Murphy Brown | Danger Duke | Voice Role Episode: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio? |
| 1995 | Dweebs | Episode: The Cyrano Show | |
| 1996 | Clueless | Dan Hafner | Episode: Romeo & Cher |
| 1997 | Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy | Senator Silverthorne | FOX TV-Movie |
| 1998 | The Outer Limits | Dr. Malcolm Boussard | Episode: Glyphic |
| From the Earth to the Moon | Emmett Seaborn | HBO TV-Movie | |
| 1999 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Reverend Thornton Powers | Episode: Power Angels |
| Inherit the Wind | Reverend Jeremiah Brown | Showtime TV-Movie | |
| 2000 | King of the Hill | Charlie Fortner Nate Hashaway |
Voice roles Episode: Hanky Panky (1) Episode: Meet the Propaniacs Episode: Flush with Power |
| 2001 | Bull | Russell Dantly | Episode: Amen |
| DAG | Agent Baxter | Episode: The Triangle Report | |
| WW3 | John Sullivan | Fox TV-Movie | |
| The Practice | Judge H. Finkel | Episode: The Candidate (1) | |
| 2002 | Judging Amy | Mr. Radford | Episode: People of the Lie |
| 2003 | Out of Order | Frank | Showtime TV movie |
[edit] References
- ^ "Lane Smith - About This Person - Movies & TV - NYTimes.com". Movies.nytimes.com. 2007-01-18. http://movies.nytimes.com/person/66475/Lane-Smith. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ "Movie Trailers & DVD Video Clips Online | Watch Current & Upcoming Movie Trailers". VH1.com. http://www.vh1.com/movies/person/58615/bio.jhtml. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
- ^ a b Oliver, Myrna (2005-06-16). "Character actor Lane Smith dies from ALS". Ride For Life. http://www.rideforlife.com/archives/001353.html. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
- ^ "Lane Smith Obituary: The Obituary and Death Notice of Lane Smith". Legacy.com. http://www.legacy.com/NS/Obituary.aspx?pid=14264318. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
- ^ "Lane Smith Biography (1936-)". Filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/90/Lane-Smith.html. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
[edit] External links
- Lane Smith at the Internet Movie Database
- Lane Smith film biography. AllRovi. accessed August 9, 2011.
- Lane Smith. Yahoo! accessed August 9, 2011.</ref>
