William Smith was born on March 24 1933 in Columbia, Missouri. Following the Dust Bowl his family moved to California. As a child he worked as an extra on several movies, including The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Meet Me in St. Louis (1945), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), Gilda (1946), and The Boy With Green Hair (1948), among others. In 1951 he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He served in the Korean War. As he was fluent in Russian, German, French, and Serbo-Croatian, he was hired by the CIA and NSA to teach classes at those agencies. He was working on his doctorate when he received an acting contract from MGM.
William Smith made his television debut in an episode of Kraft Television Theatre in 1954. He also appeared on The Ed Wynn Show, The Edge of Night, and Mr. Lucky. In 1959 he appeared in his first credited role in the movie The Mating Game (1959). In the Fifties he had uncredited roles in the movies Saturday's Hero (1951), High School Confidential (1958), Ask Any Girl (1959), Girl's Town (1959), Never So Few (1959), and The Gazebo (1959).
In the Sixties William was a regular on multiple television shows, playing Danny Keller on The Asphalt Jungle, Jimmy Delaney on the British TV show Zero One, and Texas Ranger Joe Riley on Laredo. He guest starred on the shows Stoney Burke; The Farmer's Daughter; Combat!; Kraft Television Theatre; Perry Mason; Tom, Dick and Mary; Broadside; The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; Wagon Train; Custer; The Second Hundred Years; Batman; I Dream of Jeannie; The Virginian (on one episode of which he originated the role of Joe Riley from Laredo); The Guns of Will Sonnett; Lassie; Here Come the Brides; The Felony Squad; Daniel Boone; Death Valley Days; and The Most Deadly Game. He appeared in the TV movies The Over-the-Hill Gang and Crowhaven Farm. He appeared in the movies Go Naked in the World (1961), Atlantis: The Lost Continent (1961), Mail Order Bride (1965), 36 Hours (1964), Gavilan (1968), Run, Angel, Run! (1969), The Losers (1970), Angels Die Hard (1970), Darker Than Amber (1970), and C.C. & Comany (1970).
In the Seventies William Smith appeared in the television mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man and Rich Man, Poor Man Book II. He was a regular on Hawaii Five-O in its final season. He guest starred on the TV shows Julia, Dan August, Longstreet, The Mod Squad, Bearcats!, Columbo, Alias Smith and Jones, Mission Impossible, Search, Kung Fu, Ironside, The Streets of San Francisco, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Rockford Files, Planet of the Apes, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Gunsmoke, Bronk, S.W.A.T., Movin' On, Police Story, Barnaby Jones, The Blue Knight, City of Angels, Bert D'Angelo/Superstar, Police Woman, Logan's Run, The Oregon's Trail, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, Vega$, The Rebels, Trapper John M.D., Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and Hagen. He appeared in the movies Summertime (1971), Chrome and Hot Leather (1971), Runaway, Runaway (1972), The Thing With Two Heads (1972), Grave of the Vampire (1972), Hammer (1972), Piranha (1972), Camper John (1973), Sweet Jesus, Preacherman (1973), Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973), The Last American Hero (1973), A Taste of Hell (1973), Policewoman (1974), Black Samson (1974), Win, Place or Steal (1974), The Boss (1974), Tiger Cage (1974), The Swinging Barmaids (1975), The Ultimate Warrior (1975), Dr. Minx (1975), Scorchy (1976), Hollywood Man (1976), Twilight's Last Gleaming (1977), Blood & Guts (1978), Blackjack (1978), Fast Company (1979), The Frisco Kid (1979), Seven (1979), and Any Which Way You Can (1980).
In the Eighties William Smith was a regular on the television shows Emerald Point N.A.S. and Wildside. He guest starred on the shows B.J. and the Bear, Fantasy Island, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Wonderful World of Disney, Code Red, Matt Houston, Seven Brides for Sven Brothers, The Fall Guy, CHiPs, Knight Rider, Benson, Masquerade, Riptide, The Master, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, The Yellow Rose. Hardcastle and McCormick, T. J. Hooker, Simon & Simon, The A-Team, Airwolf, The Twlightt Zone, Murder She Wrote, Downtown, Houston Knights, O'Hara, Supercarrier, Paradise, Danger Bay, and Hunter. He appeared in the movies Conan the Barbarian (1982), The Outsiders (1983), Rumble Fish (1983), Red Dawn (1984), The Mean Season (1985), When Nature Calls (1985), Fever Pitch (1985), Eye of the Tiger (1986), Commando Squad (1987), Bulletproof (1987), Moon in Scorpio (1987), The Badd One (1987), Hell Come to Frogtown (1988), Maniac Cop (1988), Platoon Leader (1988), Hell on the Battlefield (1988), Evil Altar (1988), The Kill Machine (1988), Jungle Assault (1989), Action U.S.A. (1989), Empire of Ash III (1989), Deadly Breed (1989), Terror in Beverly Hills (1989), Memorial Valley Massacre (1989), L.A. Vice (1989), East L..A. Warriors (1989), B.O.R.N. (1989), Instant Karma (1990), Emperor of the Bronx (1990), Cartel (1990), Chance (1990), The Final Sanction (1990), and Forgotten Heroes (1990).
In the Nineties Mr. Smith guest starred on the television shows Shades of L.A., The Young Riders, Vinnie & Bobby, Due South, Walker Texas Ranger, The Colony, Nash Bridges, and Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction. He appeared in the movies Spirit of the Eagle (1991), The Roller Blade Seven (1991), Cybernator (1991), Feast (1992), The Last Riders (1992), American Me (1992), Shadow of the Dragon (1992), Legend of the Roller Blade Seven (1992), Dark Secrets (1992), A Mission to Kill (1992), Kiss and Be Killed (1993), Merchant of Evil (1993), Road to Revenge (1993), Return of the Roller Blade Seven (1993), Maverick (1994), Taken Alive (1994), Manosaurus (1994), Raw Energy (1995), Judee Strange (1995), Big Sister 2000 (1995), Neon Signs (1996), The Shooter (1997), Interview with a Zombie (1997), Hollywood Cops (1997), Doublecross on Costa's Island (1997), Warriors of the Apocalypse (1998), No Rest for the Wicked (1998), Wasteland Justice (1999), Vice (2000), Plastic Boys and the Jokers (2000).
In the Naughts William Smith was a guest voice on the animated TV series Justice League. He appeared in the movies The Elite (2001), Body Shop (2002), God Has a Rap Sheet (2003), Grave Tales (2004), Y.M.I. (2004), Hell to Pay (2005), Voices from the Graves (2006), Inner Rage (2006), Rapturious (2007), and The Boneyard Collection (2008). In the Teens he appeared in the movies Tiger Cage (2012), Island of the Witches (2014), and Irresistible (2020).
If William Smith was extremely prolific, it was perhaps because he was such a good actor. Highly educated and fluent in multiple languages, he could play nearly anything. Over the years he played both heroes and villains. On Laredo he played the good natured Texas Ranger Joe Riley. On both The Asphalt Jungle and Hawaii Five-O he played law enforcement officers. In contrast, on both Rich Man, Poor Man and Rich Man, Poor Man: Book II he played the hired thug Anthony Falconetti. In Darker Than Amber he was the rather sadistic bodybuilder Terry. He played both police officers and outlaw bikers several times in his career. What is more, he worked in genres ranging from Westerns to Blaxploitation to science fiction. William Smith was extremely prolific. He was also very good at what he did.
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