Lane Smith
Acting
Born: April 29, 1936 · Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Died: June 13, 2005 (aged 69)
Highest Rated
Biography
Lane Smith (April 29, 1936 – June 13, 2005) was an American actor . He graduated from the Leelanau School, a boarding school in Glen Arbor, Michigan, and spent one year boarding at the Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, before going off to study at the Actors Studio in the late 1950s and early 1960s along with Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino; he was recognized in their Hall of Fame. Smith served two years in the United States Army. After graduating, Smith 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. In 1981, Smith appeared in the Sidney Lumet-directed film Prince of the City. He also acted on television, notably playing a United States Marine in Vietnam in the television miniseries A Rumor of War and in the 1980 Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie Gideon's Trumpet starring Henry Fonda, José Ferrer and John Houseman. Smith is also credited for playing McMurphy 650 times in the 1971 Off-Broadway revival of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Smith made a major breakthrough in 1984 with significant roles in Red Dawn, Places in the Heart and the television series V. He also played on Quincy, M.E. in season 8, episode 7, "Science for Sale" as an oncologist searching for a cure to cancer. In 1989, Smith gained recognition for his portrayal of Richard Nixon in the docudrama The Final Days. Newsweek praised the performance, writing, "Smith] is such a good Nixon that his despair and sorrow at his predicament become simply overwhelming." Smith earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance. He also appeared in the original Broadway stage production of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross as James Lingk. He received a Drama Desk Award for his performance. In 1990, Smith appeared in Air America playing a United States Senator, a role for which he was selected based on his resemblance to then-Minority Leader Bob Dole. 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. In 1993 Smith landed the role of Perry White in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which he played for four seasons until 1997. In 1994, he portrayed New York Yankees front officeman Ron in The Scout, alongside Albert Brooks and Brendan Fraser. In 1998, Smith appeared in a major role as fictional television anchorman Emmett Seaborn in the HBO miniseries From The Earth to the Moon. His final film appearance was in The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000). Smith was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease) in April 2004. He died of the disease at his home in Northridge, California on June 13, 2005 at the age of 69. He was survived by his wife, Debbie Benedict Smith and his son Robert Smith.
Known for
Network
1976
My Cousin Vinny
1992
The Legend of Bagger Vance
2000
The Mighty Ducks
1992
Red Dawn
1984
King of the Hill
1997
Air America
1990
Walker, Texas Ranger
1993
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993
Murder, She Wrote
1984
The Distinguished Gentleman
1992
Son in Law
1993
Photos (2)
Movies (66)
Network
Robert McDonough
The Mighty Ducks
Jack Reilly
My Cousin Vinny
Jim Trotter III
Prince of the City
Tug Barnes
The Distinguished Gentleman
Dick Dodge
Places in the Heart
Albert Denby
The Hi-Lo Country
Steve Shaw
Red Dawn
Mayor Bates
Over the Edge
Sloan
Air America
Senator Davenport
The Legend of Bagger Vance
Grantland Rice
Inherit the Wind
Reverend Jeremiah Brown
Purple Hearts
Cmdr. Markel
The Final Days
Richard Nixon
Son in Law
Walter Warner
Rooster Cogburn
Leroy
The Scout
Ron Wilson
Dark Night of the Scarecrow
Harless Hocker
Prison
Warden Eaton Sharpe
Blue Collar
Clarence Hill
Weeds
Claude
Between the Lines
Roy Walsh
Frances
Docteur Symington
Night Game
Whitty
Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues
Captain Max Rosenberg
The Last American Hero
Rick Penny
Challenger
Larry Mulloy
A Death in Canaan
Bob Hartman
Native Son
Britton
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
Officer Mackie
Resurrection
Don
The War at Home
Marjorie's Husband
Valley Forge
Spad
Disaster on the Coastliner
John Carlson
City in Fear
Brian
Killer Instinct
Dr. Butler
Terror at London Bridge
Anson Whitfield
On the Yard
Blake
Special Bulletin
Morton Sanders
Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy
Senator Silverthorne
Everybody Rides the Carousel
Stage 1 (voice)
Something About Amelia
Officer Dealy
Man on a Swing
Ted Ronan
The Spy Within
Stephen Hahn
Honeysuckle Rose
Brag
Gideon's Trumpet
Fred Turner
False Arrest
Martin Busey
The Crash of Flight 401
1978
On the Nickel
Preacher
Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys
Tyler
Duplicates
Mr. Fryman
Unholy Matrimony
Partygoer
The Georgia Peaches
Randolph Dukane
WW3
John Sullivan
The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer
1977
A Place to Call Home
Sam
Thou Shalt Not Kill
Clarence Blake
Getting Personal
Dr. Maddie
Mark, I Love You
Don Payer
The American Snitch
Chuck Maxwell
The Displaced Person
Mr. Shortley
The Solitary Man
Jack Collins
Prime Suspect
Tom Keating
The Member of the Wedding
Mr. Addams
Maidstone
1971
Blind Vengeance
Col. Blanchard
TV Shows (35)
King of the Hill
Charlie Fortner (voice) · 2 eps
King of the Hill
Nate Hashaway (voice) · 1 eps
Murder, She Wrote
Pol. Chief Miles Underwood · 1 eps
The Practice
Judge Finkel · 2 eps
The Rockford Files
CIA Agent Donnegan · 1 eps
The Rockford Files
Willett · 1 eps
Hill Street Blues
Mike · 1 eps
Judging Amy
Mr. Radford · 1 eps
Quincy, M.E.
Dr. Paul Flynn · 1 eps
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Perry White · 87 eps
American Playhouse
Britton · 1 eps
Hart to Hart
1 eps
The Outer Limits
Dr. Malcolm Boussard · 1 eps
Lou Grant
Dr. Lawrence · 1 eps
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Robert Warren · 1 eps
The Twilight Zone
(segment "Profile in Silver") · 1 eps
Walker, Texas Ranger
Reverend Thornton Powers · 1 eps
Kojak
Clyde Regan · 1 eps
Amazing Stories
Dr. Caruso · 1 eps
V
Nathan Bates · 13 eps
Clueless
Dan Hafner · 1 eps
From the Earth to the Moon
Emmett Seaborn · 6 eps
Legacy
Asa Winters · 3 eps
Bull
1 eps
Hollywood Beat
Cp. Milton Treadwell · 1 eps
Good Sports
R.J. Rappaport · 15 eps
DAG
Agent Baxter · 1 eps
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Spad · 1 eps
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Fred Turner · 1 eps
If Tomorrow Comes
Warden Brannigan · 1 eps
MacGruder and Loud
Richard · 1 eps
Chiefs
Hoss Spence · 3 eps
A Rumor of War
Sgt. Willliam Holgren · 2 eps
Out of Order
Frank · 5 eps
Dress Gray
Col. King · 2 eps
