
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

- Known ForActing
- Born29 April 1936 (age 89)
- Place of BirthMemphis, Tennessee, USA
Well Received the Death of an Artist
2012

WW3
2001

The Legend of Bagger Vance
2000
The Caprice
2000

Inherit the Wind
1999

Getting Personal
1998

The Hi-Lo Country
1998

Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy
1997

The Scout
1994

The Flight of the Dove
1994

Son in Law
1993

My Cousin Vinny
1992

The Distinguished Gentleman
1992

The Mighty Ducks
1992

Duplicates
1992

False Arrest
1991

Air America
1990

Blind Vengeance
1990

Challenger
1990

Night Game
1989

The Final Days
1989

Killer Instinct
1988

Prison
1987
A Place to Call Home
1987

Weeds
1987

Native Son
1986

Terror at London Bridge
1985

Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues
1985

Places in the Heart
1984

Something About Amelia
1984

Red Dawn
1984

Purple Hearts
1984
The American Snitch
1983

Special Bulletin
1983

The Member of the Wedding
1982

Frances
1982

Prime Suspect
1982

Thou Shalt Not Kill
1982

Dark Night of the Scarecrow
1981

Prince of the City
1981

The Georgia Peaches
1980

Resurrection
1980

Mark, I Love You
1980

Gideon's Trumpet
1980

Honeysuckle Rose
1980

On the Nickel
1980

City in Fear
1980

The Solitary Man
1979

Disaster on the Coastliner
1979

Over the Edge
1979

The Crash of Flight 401
1978

On the Yard
1978

Blue Collar
1978

A Death in Canaan
1978

The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
1977

The Displaced Person
1977

Between the Lines
1977

The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer
1977

Network
1976

Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys
1976

Everybody Rides the Carousel
1975

Rooster Cogburn
1975

Valley Forge
1975

Man on a Swing
1974

The Last American Hero
1973

Maidstone
1971
