Lane Smith

Lane Smith Movies and TV Shows

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.

Personal info

  • Gender: Male
  • Date of birth: 4/29/1936 (87 years old)
  • Place of birth: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Year
Genre
IMDB
TMDB
Available on the following streaming services in the United States
From the Earth to the Moon
IMDB 8.6
TMDB 83%
role:
Emmett Seaborn
Not available
1998

Action

Adventure

Drama

8.6
83%
Not available
The Scout
IMDB 5.4
TMDB 52%
role:
Ron Wilson
1994

Comedy

5.4
52%
1993

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Drama

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

6.7
71%
Son in Law
IMDB 5.9
TMDB 60%
role:
Walter Warner
1993

Comedy

Drama

Romance

5.9
60%
The Distinguished Gentleman
IMDB 5.9
TMDB 61%
role:
Dick Dodge
Not available
1992

Comedy

5.9
61%
Not available
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The Mighty Ducks
IMDB 6.6
TMDB 66%
role:
Jack Reilly
1992

Comedy

Drama

Family

6.6
66%
My Cousin Vinny
IMDB 7.6
TMDB 75%
role:
Jim Trotter III
1992

Comedy

7.6
75%
Air America
IMDB 5.8
TMDB 58%
role:
Senator Davenport
1990

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Drama

5.8
58%
Prison
IMDB 5.8
TMDB 59%
role:
Warden Eaton Sharpe
Not available
1987

Crime

Drama

Horror

Thriller

5.8
59%
Not available
Places in the Heart
IMDB 7.4
TMDB 72%
role:
Albert Denby
1984

Drama

Family

7.4
72%
Red Dawn
IMDB 6.3
TMDB 63%
role:
Mayor Bates
1984

Action

Drama

Thriller

War & Politics

6.3
63%
V
IMDB 7.8
TMDB 77%
role:
Nathan Bates
1983

Action

Adventure

Drama

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

7.8
77%
1983

Horror

Mystery

TV Movie

6.7
66%
Frances
IMDB 7.2
TMDB 71%
role:
Dr. Symington
1982

Drama

7.2
71%
Prince of the City
IMDB 7.4
TMDB 72%
role:
Tug Barnes
1981

Crime

Drama

Thriller

7.4
72%
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1979

Crime

Drama

7.3
73%
Blue Collar
IMDB 7.5
TMDB 75%
role:
Clarence Hill, Union Steward
1978

Crime

Drama

7.5
75%
Network
IMDB 8.1
TMDB 79%
role:
Robert McDonough
1976

Drama

8.1
79%
1975

Western

6.8
64%

FAQs

Some movies or TV shows available in the United States starring or involving Lane Smith are, for example, The Scout, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Son in Law.
The streaming services with the largest selection are Prime Video, iTunes and Amazon.
The best Anystream ratings are Network (8.0), V (7.8) and My Cousin Vinny (7.6).
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