William Smithers, an American actor, perhaps best known for his recurring role as Jeremy Wendell in the television series “Dallas,” died on May 26, 2026.
Smithers was born in Richmond, Virginia, on July 10, 1927, the son of systems engineer Marion Wilkinson Smithers and Marion Albany Smithers (née Thompson).
He attended William Fox School in Richmond; Robert Morris Elementary School in Elizabeth, New Jersey; Thomas Jefferson High School in Elizabeth; Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia; and Catholic University in Washington, D.C.
At age 20, Smithers played the leading role of Thomas Jefferson in the first performance of Paul Green’s “symphonic drama” “The Common Glory.”
In 1945, he enlisted in the Navy as Seaman 1st Class and was mustered out in 1946 when World War II ended.
In 1951, Smithers made his Broadway debut as Tybalt in the Dwight Deere Wiman production of “Romeo and Juliet,” starring Olivia de Havilland. For this performance Smithers received a Theater World Award.
In 1952, he was accepted as a life member of The Actors Studio. In 1957, he received an Obie Award for his portrayal of Treplev in Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull.”
Smithers’ other Broadway plays included Jean Anouilh’s “Legend of Lovers;” Calder Willingham’s “End as a Man,” (begun as a project at the Actors Studio); Carson McCullers’ “The Square Root of Wonderful;” and Terence Rattigan’s “Man and Boy” (performed in London and New York).
Off-Broadway, he played leading roles in Frank Gilroy’s “Who’ll Save the Plowboy?” (Obie Award, Best Drama); Willingham’s “End as a Man” (before the production went to Broadway); Sean O’Casey’s “Shadow of a Gunman” (also begun as a Studio project); and George Bellak’s “The Troublemakers.”
In 1965, Smithers moved to Los Angeles to play David Schuster in the television series “Peyton Place” for nine months. He played Stanley Norris on the soap “Guiding Light” from 1970-71, and, from 1976-77, was a cast member in the series “Executive Suite.”
He has appeared in nearly 400 television productions, including the television “Hamlet” (Laertes), “The Invaders,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” “Star Trek,” “Combat,” “Mission: Impossible,” and “Hawaii Five-O.”
He appeared as well in feature films such as “Attack” (1956); “Trouble Man” (1972); “Scorpio” (1973); “Papillon” (1973); “The Six Million Dollar Man” (1974); and “Deathsport” (1978).
In 1981, and from 1984-89, he played oil baron Jeremy Wendell on the prime-time soap opera “Dallas.”
As the plaintiff in Smithers vs. MGM, despite being threatened with blacklisting should he pursue the matter, he sued the multi-million-dollar corporation to protect his contractual rights regarding star billing in the 1976 television series “Executive Suite.”
In so doing, he won a case that was appealed as far as the California Supreme Court, and is now taught in entertainment law courses.
From 1995, he lived in Santa Barbara with his wife, acting teacher S. Loraine Hull | Smithers (Aug. 5, 1928-Jan. 10, 2022).
She authored “Strasberg’s Method: As Taught by Lorrie Hull.” With Smithers, she co-produced an acting-training DVD “The Method.”
From 2003-05, Smithers created, produced and directed the Santa Barbara Theatre of the Air for KCSB radio, broadcasting works of classic and contemporary playwrights.
From 2010-13, he and his wife were co-hosts and co-producers of the Santa Barbara Channels (now TV Santa Barbara) television interview program “Just Between Us!” Seven episodes of this program were named finalists for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 WAVE (Western Access Video Excellence) Awards.
In 2010 and 2011, Smithers served on the Board of Directors of TV Santa Barbara. In December 2015, he was appointed by the Santa Barbara City Council to the City’s Arts Advisory Committee.
In 2018, he authored and published an ebook “The Wizard of Sacramento: Governor Jerry Brown.” (Amazon, Smashwords).