William Smithers, ‘Dallas’ Villain and Veteran Character Actor, Dies at 98
Veteran character actor William Smithers, best known for playing ruthless oil executive Jeremy Wendell opposite J.R. Ewing on the CBS primetime soap Dallas, has died at the age of 98.
His death was reported by the Santa Barbara Independent. He lived in Santa Barbara, California.
Smithers built a long career portraying authoritative and often villainous roles across film, television and stage. He also appeared in a memorable guest role on the original Star Trek series in the 1968 episode “Bread and Circuses,” playing Capt. R.M. Merik, a former Federation officer overseeing Roman-style gladiatorial games.
A member of The Actors Studio, the Virginia-born actor began his career on stage. He made his Broadway debut in 1951 alongside Olivia de Havilland in Romeo and Juliet, a performance that earned him a Theater World Award. Over the following years, he appeared in numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including The Seagull, for which he received an Obie Award in 1957.
Born Marion Wilkinson Smithers Jr. on July 10, 1927, in Richmond, Virginia, he served in the U.S. Navy before studying at Hampden-Sydney College and Catholic University. He moved to New York in 1950 to pursue acting, working as a Broadway theatre usher while auditioning for roles.
Smithers transitioned to television in the 1960s, appearing in ABC’s Peyton Place as David Schuster from 1965 to 1966, one of the early roles in primetime serialized drama.
