William Smithers, born July 10, 1927, in Richmond, Virginia, died on May 26, 2026, in Santa Barbara, California, at 98 years old. The veteran character actor built a storied six-decade career that spanned nearly 400 television productions, film and theater.
The cause of death has not been disclosed.
After serving in the Navy during World War II, Smithers launched his career on the stage. He made his Broadway debut in 1951 alongside Olivia de Havilland in a staging of “Romeo and Juliet,” earning a Theatre World Award for his performance. His early stage work also included Legend of Lovers, End as a Man, The Square Root of Wonderful, and Man and Boy. He received an Obie Award in 1957 for his performance in Chekhov’s The Seagull and shared the stage with Bruce Dern in “The Shadow of a Gunman.” He was accepted as a life member of The Actors Studio in 1952.
Smithers relocated to Los Angeles in 1965 to pursue onscreen work. His first major television role came in 1965–66 when he portrayed Peyton Mill owner David Schuster on ABC’s “Peyton Place,” widely recognized as television’s first primetime soap opera.
Smithers became best known for playing steely WestStar Oil chairman Jeremy Wendell on the CBS primetime soap opera “Dallas,” a ruthless oilman who gave Larry Hagman’s J.R. Ewing all he could handle as a cutthroat competitor. He portrayed the character in 1981 and from 1984 to 1989, appearing in 50 episodes. Smithers later reflected that working with Hagman was challenging because their characters were always competitors, adding that Hagman was a strong actor and that he felt he had to be at the top of his game when working with him, calling the experience very stimulating.
He ultimately left Dallas over a pay dispute. He indicated that his agent was convinced the producers would meet their requested figure, but they did not, which ended his tenure on the show.
His memorable guest appearances included playing Captain R.M. Merik, a one-time Federation officer presiding over Roman gladiators, in the original “Star Trek” episode “Bread and Circuses,” which premiered on March 15, 1968. He later appeared on “Hawaii Five-O” and numerous other series.
Smithers specialized in playing heavies on the big screen throughout his career. His film debut came in director Robert Aldrich’s Attack in 1956, where he portrayed a principled infantry officer. He went on to appear as a police captain in Trouble Man in 1972, a spy in Scorpio in 1973, and most famously as the unbending Warden Barrot in Franklin J. Schaffner’s Papillon in 1973, starring Steve McQueen.
While starring on the short-lived CBS drama “Executive Suite” in 1976, Smithers became involved in a highly publicized legal battle that would cement his place in entertainment law history. He sued Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, claiming the studio had violated his contract, which stipulated that with three named exceptions, no other cast member could receive more money or better billing than he did. Smithers alleged that an MGM executive had threatened to blacklist him in Hollywood if he followed through with the lawsuit.
Despite the intimidation, Smithers pressed forward with the case. Both a jury and the California Supreme Court found in his favor. The case became a landmark now taught in entertainment law courses across the country.
In the 2000s, Smithers turned his focus back to theater and radio work. He founded the Santa Barbara Theater of the Air, which broadcast plays for radio audiences. From 2010 to 2013, he co-hosted and co-produced the television program “Just Between Us” alongside his wife, S. Lorraine Boos Hull, who died in 2022.
Smithers lived in Santa Barbara until his death. His portrayal of Jeremy Wendell remains one of the most memorable antagonists in primetime soap opera history, and he leaves behind a legacy as a respected character actor who brought gravitas and intensity to villainous roles while also standing up for actors’ rights in a way that changed the industry.
