Lane Smith

Lane Smith

Biography: Lane Smith was born in 1936 in Memphis, Tennessee. 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.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: April 29, 1936

Deathday: June 13, 2005

Popularity:

6.772

Known For

My Cousin Vinny
My Cousin Vinny

1992-03-13

The Mighty Ducks
The Mighty Ducks

1992-10-02

The Distinguished Gentleman
The Distinguished Gentleman

1992-12-04

Network
Network

1976-11-14

Dark Night of the Scarecrow
Dark Night of the Scarecrow

1981-10-24

The Last American Hero
The Last American Hero

1973-07-27

Air America
Air America

1990-08-10

Son in Law
Son in Law

1993-07-02

The Crash of Flight 401
The Crash of Flight 401

1978-10-29

The Scout
The Scout

1994-09-30

The Georgia Peaches
The Georgia Peaches

1980-11-08

Getting Personal
Getting Personal

1998-06-13

The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training

1977-07-08

Prison
Prison

1987-12-08

The Hi-Lo Country
The Hi-Lo Country

1998-12-30

Places in the Heart
Places in the Heart

1984-09-11

Resurrection
Resurrection

1980-09-26

A Place to Call Home
A Place to Call Home

1987-02-07

Night Game
Night Game

1989-09-15

Weeds
Weeds

1987-10-16

The American Snitch
The American Snitch

1983-01-01

Man on a Swing
Man on a Swing

1974-02-24

The Flight of the Dove
The Flight of the Dove

1994-06-10

Mark, I Love You
Mark, I Love You

1980-12-10

On the Yard
On the Yard

1978-09-16

WW3
WW3

2001-07-12

The Displaced Person
The Displaced Person

1977-04-12

Everybody Rides the Carousel
Everybody Rides the Carousel

1975-06-08

Gideon's Trumpet
Gideon's Trumpet

1980-04-30

Blue Collar
Blue Collar

1978-02-10

Something About Amelia
Something About Amelia

1984-01-09

False Arrest
False Arrest

1991-11-03

Terror at London Bridge
Terror at London Bridge

1985-11-22

The Final Days
The Final Days

1989-10-29

A Death in Canaan
A Death in Canaan

1978-03-01

Rooster Cogburn
Rooster Cogburn

1975-11-01

Blind Vengeance
Blind Vengeance

1990-08-22

Native Son
Native Son

1986-12-24

The Legend of Bagger Vance
The Legend of Bagger Vance

2000-11-02

Killer Instinct
Killer Instinct

1988-11-22

The Member of the Wedding
The Member of the Wedding

1982-12-20

Honeysuckle Rose
Honeysuckle Rose

1980-07-18

Duplicates
Duplicates

1992-03-18

Red Dawn
Red Dawn

1984-08-10

Purple Hearts
Purple Hearts

1984-03-30

Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues
Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues

1985-10-05

Inherit the Wind
Inherit the Wind

1999-05-29

Unholy Matrimony
Unholy Matrimony

1966-12-28

The Solitary Man
The Solitary Man

1979-10-09

Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy
Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy

1997-07-29

Between the Lines
Between the Lines

1977-04-27

Challenger
Challenger

1990-02-25

On the Nickel
On the Nickel

1980-05-08

Frances
Frances

1982-12-03

Prime Suspect
Prime Suspect

1982-01-20

Valley Forge
Valley Forge

1975-12-03

Disaster on the Coastliner
Disaster on the Coastliner

1979-10-28

City in Fear
City in Fear

1980-03-30

Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys
Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys

1976-04-22

Special Bulletin
Special Bulletin

1983-03-20

Over the Edge
Over the Edge

1979-05-18

Thou Shalt Not Kill
Thou Shalt Not Kill

1982-04-12

Maidstone
Maidstone

1971-03-09

Prince of the City
Prince of the City

1981-08-19

The Caprice
The Caprice

2000-11-11

Well Received the Death of an Artist
Well Received the Death of an Artist

2012-12-12

The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer
The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer

1977-12-01

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