Photos

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.

  • Known ForActing
  • Born29 April 1936 (age 89)
  • Place of BirthMemphis, Tennessee, USA

Lane Smith

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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 ForActing
  • Born29 April 1936 (age 89)
  • Place of BirthMemphis, Tennessee, USA
KNOWN FOR
PHOTOS
CREDITS
Poster
Well Received the Death of an Artist
star
-
2012
Poster
WW3
star
5.267
2001
Poster
The Legend of Bagger Vance
star
6.594
2000
Poster
The Caprice
star
-
2000
Poster
Inherit the Wind
star
6.3
1999
Poster
Getting Personal
star
2.0
1998
Poster
The Hi-Lo Country
star
6.105
1998
Poster
Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy
star
5.6
1997
Poster
The Scout
star
5.165
1994
Poster
The Flight of the Dove
star
4.6
1994
Poster
Son in Law
star
6.1
1993
Poster
My Cousin Vinny
star
7.493
1992
Poster
The Distinguished Gentleman
star
6.1
1992
Poster
The Mighty Ducks
star
6.549
1992
Poster
Duplicates
star
5.9
1992
Poster
False Arrest
star
5.0
1991
Poster
Air America
star
5.8
1990
Poster
Blind Vengeance
star
1.0
1990
Poster
Challenger
star
6.2
1990
Poster
Night Game
star
4.3
1989
Poster
The Final Days
star
6.8
1989
Poster
Killer Instinct
star
4.667
1988
Poster
Prison
star
5.738
1987
Poster
A Place to Call Home
star
7.0
1987
Poster
Weeds
star
5.313
1987
Poster
Native Son
star
5.208
1986
Poster
Terror at London Bridge
star
5.1
1985
Poster
Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues
star
5.1
1985
Poster
Places in the Heart
star
7.199
1984
Poster
Something About Amelia
star
5.5
1984
Poster
Red Dawn
star
6.288
1984
Poster
Purple Hearts
star
5.6
1984
Poster
The American Snitch
star
6.0
1983
Poster
Special Bulletin
star
6.7
1983
Poster
The Member of the Wedding
star
5.0
1982
Poster
Frances
star
6.876
1982
Poster
Prime Suspect
star
6.6
1982
Poster
Thou Shalt Not Kill
star
6.5
1982
Poster
Dark Night of the Scarecrow
star
6.5
1981
Poster
Prince of the City
star
7.0
1981
Poster
The Georgia Peaches
star
5.6
1980
Poster
Resurrection
star
6.5
1980
Poster
Mark, I Love You
star
-
1980
Poster
Gideon's Trumpet
star
6.2
1980
Poster
Honeysuckle Rose
star
5.4
1980
Poster
On the Nickel
star
6.0
1980
Poster
City in Fear
star
6.2
1980
Poster
The Solitary Man
star
7.0
1979
Poster
Disaster on the Coastliner
star
5.3
1979
Poster
Over the Edge
star
7.12
1979
Poster
The Crash of Flight 401
star
7.5
1978
Poster
On the Yard
star
5.8
1978
Poster
Blue Collar
star
7.4
1978
Poster
A Death in Canaan
star
5.3
1978
Poster
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
star
5.8
1977
Poster
The Displaced Person
star
7.0
1977
Poster
Between the Lines
star
5.3
1977
Poster
The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer
star
-
1977
Poster
Network
star
7.81
1976
Poster
Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys
star
6.0
1976
Poster
Everybody Rides the Carousel
star
5.8
1975
Poster
Rooster Cogburn
star
6.4
1975
Poster
Valley Forge
star
-
1975
Poster
Man on a Swing
star
5.8
1974
Poster
The Last American Hero
star
5.7
1973
Poster
Maidstone
star
4.1
1971
Poster
Unholy Matrimony
star
4.0
1966