Acting
Lane Smith
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
Well Received the Death of an Artist
Film · 2012
Out of Order
Series · 2003
WW3
Film · 2001
The Legend of Bagger Vance
Film · 2000
The Caprice
Film · 2000
Bull
Series · 2000
DAG
Series · 2000
Inherit the Wind
Film · 1999
Judging Amy
Series · 1999
Getting Personal
Film · 1998
The Hi-Lo Country
Film · 1998
From the Earth to the Moon
Series · 1998
Legacy
Series · 1998
Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy
Film · 1997
The Practice
Series · 1997
King of the Hill
Series · 1997
King of the Hill
Series · 1997
The War at Home
Film · 1996
Clueless
Series · 1996
The Outer Limits
Series · 1995
The Scout
Film · 1994
The Spy Within
Film · 1994
Son in Law
Film · 1993
Walker, Texas Ranger
Series · 1993
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Series · 1993
My Cousin Vinny
Film · 1992
The Mighty Ducks
Film · 1992
The Distinguished Gentleman
Film · 1992
Duplicates
Film · 1992
False Arrest
Film · 1991
Good Sports
Series · 1991
Air America
Film · 1990
Blind Vengeance
Film · 1990
Challenger
Film · 1990
Night Game
Film · 1989
The Final Days
Film · 1989
Killer Instinct
Film · 1988
Prison
Film · 1987
A Place to Call Home
Film · 1987
Weeds
Film · 1987
Native Son
Film · 1986
Kay O'Brien
Series · 1986
If Tomorrow Comes
Series · 1986
Dress Gray
Series · 1986
Terror at London Bridge
Film · 1985
Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues
Film · 1985
The Twilight Zone
Series · 1985
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Series · 1985
Hollywood Beat
Series · 1985
MacGruder and Loud
Series · 1985
Amazing Stories
Series · 1985
Places in the Heart
Film · 1984
Something About Amelia
Film · 1984
Red Dawn
Film · 1984
Purple Hearts
Film · 1984
Murder, She Wrote
Series · 1984
V
Series · 1984
The American Snitch
Film · 1983
Special Bulletin
Film · 1983
Chiefs
Series · 1983
The Member of the Wedding
Film · 1982
Frances
Film · 1982
Prime Suspect
Film · 1982
Thou Shalt Not Kill
Film · 1982
American Playhouse
Series · 1982
Dark Night of the Scarecrow
Film · 1981
Prince of the City
Film · 1981
Hill Street Blues
Series · 1981
The Georgia Peaches
Film · 1980
Resurrection
Film · 1980
Mark, I Love You
Film · 1980
Gideon's Trumpet
Film · 1980
Honeysuckle Rose
Film · 1980
On the Nickel
Film · 1980
City in Fear
Film · 1980
A Rumor of War
Series · 1980
The Solitary Man
Film · 1979
Disaster on the Coastliner
Film · 1979
Over the Edge
Film · 1979
Hart to Hart
Series · 1979
The Crash of Flight 401
Film · 1978
On the Yard
Film · 1978
Blue Collar
Film · 1978
A Death in Canaan
Film · 1978
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
Film · 1977
The Displaced Person
Film · 1977
Between the Lines
Film · 1977
The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer
Film · 1977
Lou Grant
Series · 1977
Network
Film · 1976
Everybody Rides the Carousel
Film · 1976
Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys
Film · 1976
Quincy, M.E.
Series · 1976
Rooster Cogburn
Film · 1975
Valley Forge
Film · 1975
Man on a Swing
Film · 1974
The Rockford Files
Series · 1974
The Rockford Files
Series · 1974
The Last American Hero
Film · 1973
Kojak
Series · 1973
Maidstone
Film · 1971
Unholy Matrimony
Film · 1966
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Series · 1962
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Series · 1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Series · 1951