Lane Smith
Acting • Born 1936-04-29 – Died 2005-06-13
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.
Filmography
102 credits
My Cousin Vinny
Movie • 1992
Jim Trotter III
The Distinguished Gentleman
Movie • 1992
Dick Dodge
The Mighty Ducks
Movie • 1992
Jack Reilly
Network
Movie • 1976
Robert McDonough
Dark Night of the Scarecrow
Movie • 1981
Harless Hocker
The Last American Hero
Movie • 1973
Rick Penny
Air America
Movie • 1990
Senator Davenport
Son in Law
Movie • 1993
Walter Warner
The Crash of Flight 401
Movie • 1978
The Scout
Movie • 1994
Ron Wilson
The Georgia Peaches
Movie • 1980
Randolph Dukane
Getting Personal
Movie • 1998
Dr. Maddie
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
Movie • 1977
Officer Mackie
Prison
Movie • 1987
Warden Eaton Sharpe
The Hi-Lo Country
Movie • 1998
Steve Shaw
Places in the Heart
Movie • 1984
Albert Denby
Resurrection
Movie • 1980
Don
A Place to Call Home
Movie • 1987
Sam
Night Game
Movie • 1989
Whitty
Weeds
Movie • 1987
Claude
The American Snitch
Movie • 1983
Chuck Maxwell
Man on a Swing
Movie • 1974
Ted Ronan
The Spy Within
Movie • 1994
Stephen Hahn
Mark, I Love You
Movie • 1980
Don Payer
On the Yard
Movie • 1978
Blake
WW3
Movie • 2001
John Sullivan
The Displaced Person
Movie • 1977
Mr. Shortley
Everybody Rides the Carousel
Movie • 1976
Stage 1 (voice)
Gideon's Trumpet
Movie • 1980
Fred Turner
The Final Days
Movie • 1989
Richard Nixon
Terror at London Bridge
Movie • 1985
Anson Whitfield
Blue Collar
Movie • 1978
Clarence Hill
Something About Amelia
Movie • 1984
Officer Dealy
False Arrest
Movie • 1991
Martin Busey
A Death in Canaan
Movie • 1978
Bob Hartman
Rooster Cogburn
Movie • 1975
Leroy
Blind Vengeance
Movie • 1990
Col. Blanchard
Native Son
Movie • 1986
Britton
The Legend of Bagger Vance
Movie • 2000
Grantland Rice
Killer Instinct
Movie • 1988
Dr. Butler
The Member of the Wedding
Movie • 1982
Mr. Addams
Honeysuckle Rose
Movie • 1980
Brag
Duplicates
Movie • 1992
Mr. Fryman
Red Dawn
Movie • 1984
Mayor Bates
Purple Hearts
Movie • 1984
Cmdr. Markel
Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues
Movie • 1985
Captain Max Rosenberg
Inherit the Wind
Movie • 1999
Reverend Jeremiah Brown
Unholy Matrimony
Movie • 1966
Partygoer
The Solitary Man
Movie • 1979
Jack Collins
Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy
Movie • 1997
Senator Silverthorne
Between the Lines
Movie • 1977
Roy Walsh
Challenger
Movie • 1990
Larry Mulloy
On the Nickel
Movie • 1980
Preacher
Frances
Movie • 1982
Docteur Symington
Prime Suspect
Movie • 1982
Tom Keating
Valley Forge
Movie • 1975
Disaster on the Coastliner
Movie • 1979
John Carlson
City in Fear
Movie • 1980
Brian
Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys
Movie • 1976
Tyler
Special Bulletin
Movie • 1983
Morton Sanders
Over the Edge
Movie • 1979
Sloan
Thou Shalt Not Kill
Movie • 1982
Clarence Blake
Maidstone
Movie • 1971
Prince of the City
Movie • 1981
Tug Barnes
The Caprice
Movie • 2000
Lane
Well Received the Death of an Artist
Movie • 2012
The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer
Movie • 1977
Murder, She Wrote
TV • 1984
Pol. Chief Miles Underwood
Judging Amy
TV • 1999
Mr. Radford
The Twilight Zone
TV • 1985
(segment "Profile in Silver")
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
TV • 1985
Robert Warren
Walker, Texas Ranger
TV • 1993
Reverend Thornton Powers
Clueless
TV • 1996
Dan Hafner
Kojak
TV • 1973
Clyde Regan
The Practice
TV • 1997
Judge H. Finkel
Hart to Hart
TV • 1979
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
TV • 1993
Perry White
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV • 1951
Spad
Good Sports
TV • 1991
R.J. Rappaport
Hollywood Beat
TV • 1985
Cp. Milton Treadwell
Bull
TV • 2000
DAG
TV • 2000
Agent Baxter
Out of Order
TV • 2003
Frank
MacGruder and Loud
TV • 1985
Richard
The Outer Limits
TV • 1995
Dr. Malcolm Boussard
Kay O'Brien
TV • 1986
Amazing Stories
TV • 1985
Dr. Caruso
From the Earth to the Moon
TV • 1998
Emmett Seaborn
King of the Hill
TV • 1997
Nate Hashaway (voice)
King of the Hill
TV • 1997
Charlie Fortner (voice)
Chiefs
TV • 1983
Hoss Spence
V
TV • 1984
Nathan Bates
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV • 1951
Fred Turner
The Rockford Files
TV • 1974
CIA Agent Donnegan
The Rockford Files
TV • 1974
Willett
A Rumor of War
TV • 1980
Sgt. Willliam Holgren
If Tomorrow Comes
TV • 1986
Warden Brannigan
Hill Street Blues
TV • 1981
Mike
Dress Gray
TV • 1986
Col. King
Lou Grant
TV • 1977
Dr. Lawrence
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV • 1962
Self
Quincy, M.E.
TV • 1976
Dr. Paul Flynn