Lane Smith
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- April 29, 1936
- Died
- June 13, 2005 (aged 69)
- Birthplace
- Memphis, Tennessee, USA
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
Photos
Filmography
Well Received the Death of an Artist
Movie
Out of Order
TV · as Frank · 5 eps
WW3
Movie · as John Sullivan
The Legend of Bagger Vance
Movie · as Grantland Rice
The Caprice
Movie · as Lane
Bull
TV · 1 ep
DAG
TV · as Agent Baxter · 1 ep
Inherit the Wind
Movie · as Reverend Jeremiah Brown
Judging Amy
TV · as Mr. Radford · 1 ep
Getting Personal
Movie · as Dr. Maddie
The Hi-Lo Country
Movie · as Steve Shaw
From the Earth to the Moon
TV · as Emmett Seaborn · 6 eps
Legacy
TV · as Asa Winters · 3 eps
Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy
Movie · as Senator Silverthorne
The Practice
TV · as Judge Finkel · 2 eps
King of the Hill
TV · as Charlie Fortner (voice), Nate Hashaway (voice) · 2 eps
The War at Home
Movie · as Marjorie's Husband
Clueless
TV · as Dan Hafner · 1 ep
The Outer Limits
TV · as Dr. Malcolm Boussard · 1 ep
The Scout
Movie · as Ron Wilson
The Spy Within
Movie · as Stephen Hahn
Son in Law
Movie · as Walter Warner
Walker, Texas Ranger
TV · as Reverend Thornton Powers · 1 ep
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
TV · as Perry White · 87 eps
My Cousin Vinny
Movie · as Jim Trotter III
The Distinguished Gentleman
Movie · as Dick Dodge
The Mighty Ducks
Movie · as Jack Reilly
Duplicates
Movie · as Mr. Fryman
False Arrest
Movie · as Martin Busey
Good Sports
TV · as R.J. Rappaport · 15 eps
Air America
Movie · as Senator Davenport
Blind Vengeance
Movie · as Col. Blanchard
Challenger
Movie · as Larry Mulloy
Night Game
Movie · as Whitty
The Final Days
Movie · as Richard Nixon
Killer Instinct
Movie · as Dr. Butler
Prison
Movie · as Warden Eaton Sharpe
A Place to Call Home
Movie · as Sam
Weeds
Movie · as Claude
Native Son
Movie · as Britton
Kay O'Brien
TV · 12 eps
If Tomorrow Comes
TV · as Warden Brannigan · 1 ep
Dress Gray
TV · as Col. King · 2 eps
Terror at London Bridge
Movie · as Anson Whitfield
Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues
Movie · as Captain Max Rosenberg
The Twilight Zone
TV · as (segment "Profile in Silver") · 1 ep
The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents
TV · as Robert Warren · 1 ep
Hollywood Beat
TV · as Cp. Milton Treadwell · 1 ep
MacGruder and Loud
TV · as Richard · 1 ep
Amazing Stories
TV · as Dr. Caruso · 1 ep
Places in the Heart
Movie · as Albert Denby
Something About Amelia
Movie · as Officer Dealy
Red Dawn
Movie · as Mayor Bates
Purple Hearts
Movie · as Cmdr. Markel
Murder, She Wrote
TV · as Pol. Chief Miles Underwood · 1 ep
V
TV · as Nathan Bates · 13 eps
The American Snitch
Movie · as Chuck Maxwell
Special Bulletin
Movie · as Morton Sanders
Chiefs
TV · as Hoss Spence · 3 eps
The Member of the Wedding
Movie · as Mr. Addams
Frances
Movie · as Docteur Symington
Prime Suspect
Movie · as Tom Keating
Thou Shalt Not Kill
Movie · as Clarence Blake
American Playhouse
TV · as Britton · 1 ep
Dark Night of the Scarecrow
Movie · as Harless Hocker
Prince of the City
Movie · as Tug Barnes
Hill Street Blues
TV · as Mike · 1 ep
The Georgia Peaches
Movie · as Randolph Dukane
Resurrection
Movie · as Don
Mark, I Love You
Movie · as Don Payer
Gideon's Trumpet
Movie · as Fred Turner
Honeysuckle Rose
Movie · as Brag
On the Nickel
Movie · as Preacher
City in Fear
Movie · as Brian
A Rumor of War
TV · as Sgt. Willliam Holgren · 2 eps
The Solitary Man
Movie · as Jack Collins
Disaster on the Coastliner
Movie · as John Carlson
Over the Edge
Movie · as Sloan
Hart to Hart
TV · 1 ep
The Crash of Flight 401
Movie
On the Yard
Movie · as Blake
Blue Collar
Movie · as Clarence Hill
A Death in Canaan
Movie · as Bob Hartman
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
Movie · as Officer Mackie
The Displaced Person
Movie · as Mr. Shortley
Between the Lines
Movie · as Roy Walsh
The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer
Movie
Lou Grant
TV · as Dr. Lawrence · 1 ep
Network
Movie · as Robert McDonough
Everybody Rides the Carousel
Movie · as Stage 1 (voice)
Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys
Movie · as Tyler
Quincy, M.E.
TV · as Dr. Paul Flynn · 1 ep
Rooster Cogburn
Movie · as Leroy
Valley Forge
Movie · as Spad
Man on a Swing
Movie · as Ted Ronan
The Rockford Files
TV · as CIA Agent Donnegan, Willett · 1 ep
The Last American Hero
Movie · as Rick Penny
Kojak
TV · as Clyde Regan · 1 ep
Maidstone
Movie
Unholy Matrimony
Movie · as Partygoer
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Hallmark Hall of Fame
TV · as Spad, Fred Turner · 1 ep