![]() Dirt bikes, choppers, cruisers, three-wheelers … Only one “actor” legitimately rode them all on screen … William Smith.Ī larger than life figure, standing 6’2” (186cm) with a muscular frame and rugged good looks, Bill exemplified power and danger, and by all accounts, suited what motorcycle films needed. But, motorcycles hadn’t yet used an actor to their advantage. Actors had used motorcycles on film to their advantage and audiences responded. By the closing of the 1960s, biker-era audiences had seen it all when it came to motorcycles in film. They were used by actors like Marlon Brando to create drama and suspense, and they were used by screen legends such as Steve McQueen to create action and thrills. Bikes were used by comedians such as Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin to make people laugh. Since the early days of films, motorcycles have played an important role. The name William Smith, with an impressive list of nearly 300 film and television appearances has performed in everything from TV series such as Batman, Hawaii Five-0, I Dream of Jeannie, The Rockford Files, CHiPS and Hunter to notable appearances in the acclaimed (and the first) ABC mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man, to theatrical feature films where he’s played everything from Conan’s father, Corin, in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movie Conan The Barbarian to Clint Eastwood’s fighting revival in Any Which Way You Can.Ĭlick here to find out 13 ways to watch TV for free.īill’s profession as an actor and his early association with motorcycles catapulted him to biker stardom for several reasons, but the basic explanation is that there simply wasn’t anyone like him. ![]() Biggest name in Hollywoodīill was the man that stars such as Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern agreed would be the biggest name in the Hollywood industry. Big Bill, an accomplished author whose work includes a brilliant poetry book entitled “The Poetic Works of William Smith.” Big Bill, Big Bill, Big Bill … His endeavours and accomplishments are simply endless, and we haven’t even touched upon his stardom as a Hollywood celebrity, as a professional character actor, whose career spans eight very long decades. Big Bill, the last of the Marlboro Men from the Marlboro advertising commercials of the 1970s. Big Bill, a black belt in Martial Arts who studied kung fu, and Kenpō karate with famed masters, Jimmy Woo and Ed Parker. Big Bill, the man who turned down the role of Tarzan at MGM. He even competed at Mammoth Mountain as a downhill skier and was recorded to have thrown the discus 151 feet (46m) at a time when the top Amateur Athletic Union record distance was 150.6 feet.īig Bill fought California wildfires as a young man, and worked as a lifeguard and trainer at “Hollywood Gym”. ![]() Just his stories of interrogation assignments with captured Russian MIG pilots off North Korea would make a fascinating book in itself, but Bill’s life achievements and journeys would be more suited as a volume, or series of books.Ī Light-Heavyweight amateur boxer in the Air Force with a 31-1 record, Bill also played semi-pro football in Germany, performed superior physical feats like 5100 continuous sit-ups over a five-hour period and won contests at muscle beach that included him executing 35 inverted handstand dips. ![]() But Bill was never average, and you can argue that he could be one of the most interesting (and fascinating) icons the world has had in modern times. Aside from speaking fluently in Russian, and several other languages, including German, French, and Serbo-Croatian, Bill obtained a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Bodybuilding and Fitness, held multiple records that included a record for reverse-curling his own weight, and has had the honour of being a multiple Arm-Wrestling Champion in California.įor the average person, this assortment of accomplishments would be impressive as it stands. A true patriot who served in the United States Air Force and National Security Agency, Bill flew on secret missions during the Korean War, and graduated UCLA Cum Laude, where incidentally he held a Master’s Degree in Russian, and as a professor, taught Russian language studies. King of Biker Filmsīill, as he is affectionately called by his friends and family, is a man of many traits and talents. He has prepared this article for us featuring portions from his 168-page upcoming biography, The Words and Images of a Hollywood Legend: William Smith. When you think of motorcycle films, many riders would mention Steve McQueen or Marlon Brando, but American freelance writer Joe Zimmerman says the real “king of biker films” is actor William Smith, now aged 86.
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