Veteran actor William Smithers, best known for his role as oil tycoon Jeremy Wendell on the CBS series Dallas, has died at the age of 98.
Born in 1927 in Richmond, Virginia, Smithers served in the U.S. military before building a long acting career in television and film. He appeared in popular series such as The Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, and The Waltons, as well as films including Papillon and The Last Picture Show.
He gained wider recognition for his role in Dallas, where he played one of J.R. Ewing’s major business rivals during a 50-episode run.
Smithers also had a notable legal victory earlier in his career, winning a contract dispute with MGM that later became a well-known case in entertainment law.
He is remembered as a respected character actor with a career spanning more than six decades.