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.
as Frank(5 eps)
as John Sullivan
as Agent Baxter(1 ep)
as Lane
as Grantland Rice
as Mr. Radford(1 ep)
as Reverend Jeremiah Brown
as Steve Shaw
as Asa Winters(3 eps)
as Dr. Maddie
as Emmett Seaborn(6 eps)
as Senator Silverthorne
as Judge Finkel(2 eps)
as Nate Hashaway (voice)(1 ep)
as Charlie Fortner (voice)(2 eps)
as Marjorie's Husband
as Dan Hafner(1 ep)
as Dr. Malcolm Boussard(1 ep)
as Ron Wilson
as Stephen Hahn
as Perry White(87 eps)
as Walter Warner
as Reverend Thornton Powers(1 ep)
as Dick Dodge
as Jack Reilly
as Mr. Fryman
as Jim Trotter III
as Martin Busey
as R.J. Rappaport(15 eps)
as Col. Blanchard
as Senator Davenport
as Larry Mulloy
as Richard Nixon
as Whitty
as Dr. Butler
as Warden Eaton Sharpe
as Claude
as Sam
as Britton
as Col. King(2 eps)
as Warden Brannigan(1 ep)
as Anson Whitfield
as Captain Max Rosenberg
as Robert Warren(1 ep)
as Dr. Caruso(1 ep)
as (segment "Profile in Silver")(1 ep)
as Cp. Milton Treadwell(1 ep)
as Richard(1 ep)
as Nathan Bates(13 eps)
as Pol. Chief Miles Underwood(1 ep)
as Albert Denby
as Mayor Bates
as Cmdr. Markel
as Officer Dealy
as Hoss Spence(3 eps)
as Morton Sanders
as Chuck Maxwell
as Mr. Addams
as Docteur Symington
as Clarence Blake
as Tom Keating
as Britton(1 ep)
as Harless Hocker
as Tug Barnes
as Mike(1 ep)
as Don Payer
as Randolph Dukane
as Don
as Sgt. Willliam Holgren(2 eps)
as Brag
as Preacher
as Fred Turner
as Brian
as John Carlson
as Jack Collins
as Sloan
as Blake
as Bob Hartman
as Clarence Hill
as Dr. Lawrence(1 ep)
as Officer Mackie
as Roy Walsh
as Mr. Shortley
as Robert McDonough
as Dr. Paul Flynn(1 ep)
as Stage 1 (voice)
as Spad
as Leroy
as CIA Agent Donnegan(1 ep)
as Willett(1 ep)
as Ted Ronan
as Clyde Regan(1 ep)
as Rick Penny
as Partygoer
as Self(1 ep)
as Spad(1 ep)
as Fred Turner(1 ep)
