and Co., where he starred as the menacing Moon, opposite football great Joe Namath and Ann Margret. Smith also played in several biker flicks including C.C. On film he played Clint Eastwood's bare-knuckle nemesis Jack Wilson in Any Which Way You Can, the barbarian's father in Conan the Barbarian and a Russian commander in Red Dawn, he also appeared in the 1983 classic film The Outsiders as a store clerk, but his starring roles typically had titles such as Grave of the Vampire, Invasion of the Bee Girls, and The Swinging Barmaids. He also replaced James MacArthur on the final season of the long running Hawaii Five-O series.
William smith actor college professor tv#
One of his best known roles was as a Texas Ranger the popular 60's TV Western Laredo. government, but married a French actress which meant he lost his security clearance. He had both CIA and NSA clearance and intended to enter a classified position with the U.S. During the Korean War he was a Russian Intercept Interrogator and was awarded a Purple Heart.
Smith was fluent in Russian, Serbo-Croatian, French, and German.
He also studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and the University of Munich while learning languages courtesy of the military. He even taught Russian at UCLA before abandoning his Ph.D. He held a BA from Syracuse and a Master's Degree in Russian Studies from UCLA. Going against his rough-hewn image, Smith was also highly educated. He entered films stunt doubling for former screen Tarzan Lex Barker in a French film. Smith also played semi-pro football in Germany and competed in motocross and downhill ski events. Smith held a 31-1 record as an amateur boxer and studied martial arts with kenpo instructor Ed Parker for several years. His trademark arms measured 18 and 1/2 inches. At one time he was in the Guinness Book of World Records for reverse-curling his own bodyweight.
Smith won the 200 pound (91 kg) arm-wrestling championship of the world multiple times and also won the Air Force weightlifting championship. The physically imposing 6'2" actor was a lifelong bodybuilder and had the distinction of being the final Marlboro Man before the cigarette ads were discontinued on TV. He is possibly best-known for playing Falconetti on the TV mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man. He worked as a child actor, but is best known for his numerous roles in low-budget action films playing bikers, cowboys, tough-guys, and villains.
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