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.
His film credits include Attack! (1956), Trouble Man (1972), Scorpio (1973), and Papillon (1973), in which he played the strict prison warden Barrot. He also appeared in numerous television series over the decades, including Mission: Impossible, Mannix, Ironside, Barnaby Jones, Cannon, and Walker, Texas Ranger.
Smithers joined Dallas in 1981 during its fourth season as Jeremy Wendell, chairman of WestStar Oil. He remained with the series through 1989, appearing in 50 episodes and becoming one of J.R. Ewing’s most formidable rivals.
He once described working alongside Larry Hagman as a demanding but stimulating experience, noting the competitive dynamic between their characters.
In 1976, Smithers was involved in a high-profile legal dispute with MGM over billing and contract terms while working on the CBS drama Executive Suite. He ultimately prevailed in the case, which is now frequently cited in entertainment law studies.
His wife, acting teacher S. Loraine Hull Smithers, died in January 2022. The couple co-hosted and co-produced the local television interview program Just Between Us!.
Smithers is remembered for his commanding screen presence and extensive body of work across stage, film, and television.