Wow. Talk about an exceptional human being , he was certainly it! Is there anything he didn't do!? A very admirable fellow and quite handsome to boot. Doesn't get much better.

Great work! You missed something though. He was also a poet. He published a book of poetry (mixed with pics from his life) in 2009. (Maybe I missed it, but I don't think it was mentioned.)

My wife and I met him about 15 years ago. He was so nice to talk with and was genuinely interested in everything we had to say. We’ve met a few celebrity jerks, he was the perfect gentleman. Can’t say enough nice things about him. RIP Mr. Smith

As kids we kept an eye out for him in everything we watched from the 60's through the 80's. He was an icon and we all wanted to look like him.

Your uncleThat is so cool i always knew he was a real tuff SOB any which way you can was my fathers favourite movie R.I.P. Bet u got some great memories of him seemed a cool dude. Salute from Ireland👌👌

Richard Ellis:cool uncle to have.

I remember him on the Rockford files when a lady asked James Garner if he was scared of him And James said yes

1 John 2:15-17 New Living Translation 15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. James 4:4 New Living Translation 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God." Mark 8:36 New Living Translation 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

True.

This Will Smith doesnt have a vagina.

This guy was known by full name William Smith, not Will Smith.

Indeed 😂👍🏻

LMFAO

One of, definitely. On par with the original Dirty Harry villain, and a few others. He was actually scarier in a classic noir movie with Rod Taylor called darker than Amber. I didn’t appreciate the fact that he was always expected to lose in these roles, for example, in Falconetti, it wasn’t realistic.

? Was that in North Hollywood?

Had the same exp with Davey Boy Smith the wwe dude - cept for me ! The guy was a Freakin Dick !! You know the sayin - All that & a bag o chips - Total Freakin DIRTBAG !!

I remember Rich Man Poor Man when I was like 12

Gert, I have the movie with Rod Taylor. The fight scene is short but awesome. They cut a lot out of fight when Taylor was getting hurt. But they show the punch that broke Taylor's nose and the best part of the fight where Taylor breaks Smiths ribs. Taylor goes low and wails on Smith with a kidney shot and rib shots. Then the best punch of the fight, Taylor's going to the body and throws a devastating left to Smiths fàce that stuns him which let's Rod throw a powerful right. Then Smith kung fu kicks him in the gut and Taylor goes flying back and crashed into a mirror. They beat the hell out of each other

I was just a kid when that was on but for years afterwards, me and my sister would shout 'Falconetti' whenever he appeared in anything else. That character was just so powerful.

@@scooter29Ahhhhhh the memories 👍👍

Rich man, poor man. Awesome tv.

I think i remember him playing a bad guy on a Rockford Files episode

Yeah, I imagine if him and Clint Eastwood and guys like them try to get into Hollywood now they wouldn’t

Beautifully put.

@@michaelmontgomery5818 Thanks

1 John 2:15-17 New Living Translation 15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. James 4:4 New Living Translation 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God." Mark 8:36 New Living Translation 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

2021???!!!. by the wind from odin's crotch!!! even as a child i found him so magnetic & convincing that i always imagined him as not very nice in REAL life; i'm quite happy to be proven wrong & ASTONISHED to learn of his CEREBRAL side. cool guy. reminds me of george montgomery. well 88yrs is a good run; R.I.P. big bill.

@@babagalacticus but it won't save your soul on judgement day. Being nice or making people happy will not save you. Jesus already paid the price by dying on the cross for our sins. All we have to do is accept it and ask for forgiveness of your sins. It is a FREE gift.

@@JohnSmith-uy7sv Get outta here with that silly fantasy crap. You people have deranged minds.

I can remember him in rich man poor man remember him with Clint Eastwood he is a legend

After Laredo was dropped by NBC, box office driven Hollywood failed to find a solid place for William Smith. But then...the guy resurrected himself as King of the Drive-in theaters! Where low budget studios became rich with the less realistic B-movie industry. Dusk till dawn movie marathons starring various righteous characters vs William Smith as their enemy.

1 John 2:15-17 New Living Translation 15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. James 4:4 New Living Translation 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God." Mark 8:36 New Living Translation 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

@Sergei1847 1 Corinthians 15:58 New Living Translation 58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 2 Timothy 4:5 New Living Translation 5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. 2 Timothy 4:2 New Living Translation 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

Can you imagine if the screenwriters got something wrong and he corrected their Russian? 😉

@@cpfs936 That would have been cool. He was a Great Actor and Person that didn't get the acclaim that he deserved.

So was I, I thought he was actually Russian

As a teenager I was fascinated by the fight scene between Nolte and William Smith. So much so that I went to the gym and became an amateur boxer and later a boxing coach for years.

and the director says ... cut and that's a rap. hide the blooper reel and all the takes it took to get it the way I wanted. That is why they say fight scenes are like dancing. It is ALL choreographed. A dance.

🏍️ Always thought it was Falcon Eddy. I also loved RMPM. The brothers' father (Ed Asner) told them how he shot an unarmed Frenchy in the war and how he stabbed a brit to death once, and in the end one son is shot ; the other stabbed.

Absolutely loved that series and bawled my eyes out when Nolte was whacked. .....i was only 14 btw : )

@@spanishpeaches2930 🏍️ I was 11.

He was a big dude , who was really into health and body building , but boy like so many actors he made some really bad movies when he got older like Champagne and Bullets

He seems like it.

I met him at World Gym in 2003. Didn’t realize who he was at first but then the penny dropped. He was strong even then.

I lived in Playa del Rey around 1982. I was at a market checkout stand and rolling up right behind me in line was William Smith. He smiled at me and I nearly flat-lined. I thought to myself 'omg, Falcon Eddie'. He is the only real 'star' I've ever been close to. What a small encounter, but I'll never forget it. Swoon.

Malcolm arnadoff:Good to know.Wouldn't want to get on his bad side.

I'm in my middle age life now, but big Bill Smith lived a life I wanted to live and I wish I had, but in listening to family and taking bad advice from them I never got to achieve it, regretfully. But I was a fan of big Bill Smith as a kid watching his tv shows and movies throughout his career. I didn't know he was so accomplished as a person speaking the many languages and in having multiple degrees academically. He was a man who truly had it all with rugged good looks, tall, and a chiseled body from being an accomplished body builder, I think he even had a karate black belt. Smh Just an amazing man who lived an amazing life! God bless him, and may he R.I.P.!😀

@@tubucoco 1 John 2:15-17 New Living Translation 15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. James 4:4 New Living Translation 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God." Mark 8:36 New Living Translation 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

@@JohnSmith-uy7sv Yes, you're right of course, worldly possessions do not matter and this life is temporary! I guess I just got caught up in reading or seeing the video on big Bill Smith and his accomplishments and remembered what I as a young man wanted to achieve myself. Smh Just call it "nostalgia" I guess, but I am very appreciative of you passing along those verses to me. I am definitely focused on the love and respect that I have for the Lord and Christ Jesus my lord. We as a people get caught up to easily in this world of sin and living a life of sin with wanting materialistic possessions and all. People always get upset when you talk to them about the Lord and wanting them to have a personal relationship with him, but in this case your message is heard by me. Thank you once again and God bless! ❤🙏

@@tubucoco Congratulations!!! You are human and a sinner deserving of hell and then the lake of fire on judgement day.............Just list me and everyone else born on this planet. We can't escape sin. I waited until the end for the suspense on what I would say. 😁. Like Paul says in Romans, Romans 7:15-20 New International Version 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." We will be sinners until the day we die. The Idea is recognizing it and asking for forgiveness. There is nothing in this world that our thoughts that others have not experienced to. Your on the right track. Keep on keeping on. See you at home. 🥰

“The Riddle of Steel”

He also did really well in Red Dawn. He portrayed a Spetdnaz commander very well. He had what the military calls a "command presence."

Legend

Nice ... You said. Joe Riley so cool. Yeah I dug em too

He was the quintessential 'baddass'. I remember seeing William Smith pop up often in various films and TV. Obviously, he played the 'heavy'. It's fascinating to learn of his impressive credentials. Brains and brawn. Lethal. R.I.P. W. Smith.

1 John 2:15-17 New Living Translation 15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. James 4:4 New Living Translation 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God." Mark 8:36 New Living Translation 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

Thank you Arlyn! 🙂

P.s. lol I guess I should mention that my brother and I pretended to be Joe Riley and Chad Cooper from TV show Laredo when we were kids( not as adults) I'm a female but we were kids he was Batman, I was Robin, he was Captain Kirk I was Spock. So these characters meant the world to us . Anyway totally respect William Smith hope his life was really great. ✌️

He’ll always be Conan’s father to me.

I knew him from the gym. Funny guy and really a sweet guy. Really a tough guy though! When I knew him he was already in his seventies and still a gym regular. Perfect for Conan’s dad. They were spot-on casting him. Sorry to see a good guy go...He was 88.

I remember him from a lot of tv and movies especially Laredo. The 60’s were great for western shows.

@@rce59 HI, your the first person I've seen mention Larado. Glad I'm not alone. I swear, I think it came out a year before Star Trek & basically they were the same characters. Joe, Chad & Reese became Kirk, Spock & McCoy in the sense of friendships & loyalty. I loved those old shows & being 6-7 totally understood 'em. But I'm just reminiscing. Daniel Boone, Custer, High Chaparral, Wild Wild West all those good Westerns But I get attached over the years & when an actor passes it's hurts like I knew 'em.. bit of a tv weirdo here. LoL ✌️

Same here! That's why I clicked on this video, I thought to myself, " I know that guy! "

Until the narrator said the father of Conan the barbarian, I couldn't place him.

terrific as the bad guy in the fred williamson pic boss nigger. great facedown between hero williamson and evil smith. a great hero needs a great bad guy to go against and smith fit the bill.

William Who?

I didn't like Laredo but watched for William's character.

Thank you for watching it! 🙂

1st gym I joined when I moved to Hollyweird in the mid 80's. A dungeon of a space with a single slightly noisy fan. No AC but Vince kept the front door open. Perfect gym for me. Vince was still there. Smith's picture was on the wall.

Thanks,I wondered what the cause of death was.

I am not surprised he died of Alzheimer's. Very intelligent people commonly die from Alzheimer's.

@@johnhanselman6371 "Very intelligent people commonly die from Alzheimer's." surely that's one disease you don't need to worry about. and yes, I called you Shirley.

@@johnhanselman6371 Phew, I'm safe then

@@johnhanselman6371 That means I'm safe. 🤣🤣

That is the first thought that came to mind when I saw his image on this video - hey that's the badguy in the Rockford Files pilot!

And the image of Rockford retreating to the bathroom putting liquid soap on the floor and coins in his fist...

He was perfect in the Rockford pilot , I love how Rockford sucked him into the bathroom after pouring soap on the floor , Jimbo knew he needed an advantage ....Lol

Jack Palance was another tough guy both onscreen and in real life. He also could be an intimidating presence like Smith.

"tomsampson8084," . . . Amazing that in twelve months no one's bothered to correct "He finally got a lead in 'Laramie' . . . " Nope; another NBC / Revue-Universal western beginning with an 'L' -- "Laredo".

1 John 2:15-17 New Living Translation 15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. James 4:4 New Living Translation 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God." Mark 8:36 New Living Translation 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

Yeps amazes me to !!!

That's why they call it........."acting!!"

Me too 🪲

162 REVERSE curl? Nope not a chance.

That reminds me of Sonny Landhams; bodyguards were there to protect OTHER people from Sonny.

Dang I know how hard that is , my mom died from Alzheimer's , it's not a quick death infact it took 12 yrs . William Smith was a true badass !!

He was on the "A"team too. Went up against Mr T.

I just saw that episode.

i just saw that movie on pluto i think that was the trailer shown before the movie watched by sharon tate in the bruin theater during "once upon a time in hollywood" he was memorable just from he trailer !

Dying breed? Those guys were always rare. The only age when those guys were in adequate numbers was the Ancient Greece time.

He had a firm handshake ! ? Really ? Gee Man What Did You Expect ! ?

He didn't have time!

i saw him on a talk show at the time telloing of being in a market and an old lady came up and started hitting him with an umbrella and calling him falconetti

grave of the vampire as the son of a woman raped by a vampire.he was the fbi hero in invasion of the b girls.

He was in an episode of Kolchak,the night stalker. A lot of series in the 70s and 80s. In Red Dawn played a Soviet officer.

Great film, Darker Than Amber. It’s on You Tube but not sure if it’s uncut. The vampire film is ‘Grave of the Vampire’. Loved William Smith. A real movie presence and by all accounts, a real gentleman.

Rod Taylor busted 3 of his ribs- ironman Aussie

He played Conan's ill-fated daddy in the first movie.