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Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

102

Gender

Male

Birthday

1936-04-29

Day of Death

2005-06-13 (69 years old)

Place of Birth

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Also Known As

Лейн Смит

Lane Smith

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

Acting

My Cousin Vinny

1992

My Cousin Vinny

as

Jim Trotter III

The Mighty Ducks

1992

The Mighty Ducks

as

Jack Reilly

Network

1976

Network

as

Robert McDonough

Dark Night of the Scarecrow

1981

Dark Night of the Scarecrow

as

Harless Hocker

The Last American Hero

1973

The Last American Hero

as

Rick Penny

Air America

1990

Air America

as

Senator Davenport

Son in Law

1993

Son in Law

as

Walter Warner

The Scout

1994

The Scout

as

Ron Wilson

The Georgia Peaches

1980

The Georgia Peaches

as

Randolph Dukane

Getting Personal

1998

Getting Personal

as

Dr. Maddie

Prison

1987

Prison

as

Warden Eaton Sharpe

The Hi-Lo Country

1998

The Hi-Lo Country

as

Steve Shaw

Places in the Heart

1984

Places in the Heart

as

Albert Denby

Resurrection

1980

Resurrection

as

Don

Night Game

1989

Night Game

as

Whitty

Weeds

1987

Weeds

as

Claude

The American Snitch

1983

The American Snitch

as

Chuck Maxwell

Man on a Swing

1974

Man on a Swing

as

Ted Ronan

The Flight of the Dove

1994

The Flight of the Dove

as

Stephen Hahn

Mark, I Love You

1980

Mark, I Love You

as

Don Payer

On the Yard

1978

On the Yard

as

Blake

WW3

2001

WW3

as

John Sullivan

The Displaced Person

1977

The Displaced Person

as

Mr. Shortley

Everybody Rides the Carousel

1975

Everybody Rides the Carousel

as

Stage 1 (voice)

Gideon's Trumpet

1980

Gideon's Trumpet

as

Fred Turner

Blue Collar

1978

Blue Collar

as

Clarence Hill

Something About Amelia

1984

Something About Amelia

as

Officer Dealy

False Arrest

1991

False Arrest

as

Martin Busey

Terror at London Bridge

1985

Terror at London Bridge

as

Anson Whitfield

The Final Days

1989

The Final Days

as

Richard Nixon

A Death in Canaan

1978

A Death in Canaan

as

Bob Hartman

Rooster Cogburn

1975

Rooster Cogburn

as

Leroy

Blind Vengeance

1990

Blind Vengeance

as

Col. Blanchard

Native Son

1986

Native Son

as

Britton

The Legend of Bagger Vance

2000

The Legend of Bagger Vance

as

Grantland Rice

Killer Instinct

1988

Killer Instinct

as

Dr. Butler

Duplicates

1992

Duplicates

as

Mr. Fryman

Red Dawn

1984

Red Dawn

as

Mayor Bates

Purple Hearts

1984

Purple Hearts

as

Cmdr. Markel

Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues

1985

Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues

as

Captain Max Rosenberg

Inherit the Wind

1999

Inherit the Wind

as

Reverend Jeremiah Brown

Unholy Matrimony

1966

Unholy Matrimony

as

Partygoer

The Solitary Man

1979

The Solitary Man

as

Jack Collins

Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy

1997

Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy

as

Senator Silverthorne

Between the Lines

1977

Between the Lines

as

Roy Walsh

Challenger

1990

Challenger

as

Larry Mulloy

On the Nickel

1980

On the Nickel

as

Preacher

Frances

1982

Frances

as

Dr. Symington

Prime Suspect

1982

Prime Suspect

as

Tom Keating

Disaster on the Coastliner

1979

Disaster on the Coastliner

as

John Carlson

City in Fear

1980

City in Fear

as

Brian

Special Bulletin

1983

Special Bulletin

as

Morton Sanders

Over the Edge

1979

Over the Edge

as

Sloan

Thou Shalt Not Kill

1982

Thou Shalt Not Kill

as

Clarence Blake

Maidstone

1971

Maidstone

as

Prince of the City

1981

Prince of the City

as

Tug Barnes

Murder, She Wrote

Murder, She Wrote

as

Pol. Chief Miles Underwood

Judging Amy

Judging Amy

as

Mr. Radford

The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone

as

(segment "Profile in Silver")

Walker, Texas Ranger

Walker, Texas Ranger

as

Reverend Thornton Powers

Kojak

Kojak

as

Clyde Regan

The Practice

The Practice

as

Judge H. Finkel

Good Sports

Good Sports

as

R.J. Rappaport

Hollywood Beat

Hollywood Beat

as

Cp. Milton Treadwell

DAG

DAG

as

Agent Baxter

The Outer Limits

The Outer Limits

as

Dr. Malcolm Boussard

Amazing Stories

Amazing Stories

as

Dr. Caruso

King of the Hill

King of the Hill

as

Charlie Fortner (voice)

King of the Hill

King of the Hill

as

Nate Hashaway (voice)

Chiefs

Chiefs

as

Hoss Spence

V

V

as

Nathan Bates

The Rockford Files

The Rockford Files

as

CIA Agent Donnegan

A Rumor of War

A Rumor of War

as

Sgt. Willliam Holgren

If Tomorrow Comes

If Tomorrow Comes

as

Warden Brannigan

Dress Gray

Dress Gray

as

Col. King

Lou Grant

Lou Grant

as

Dr. Lawrence

Production

Crew

Directing