William Smithers, Veteran Actor of “Dallas” and “Papillon,” Dies at 98

William Smithers died on May 26, 2026, at age 98 in Santa Barbara, California. The Santa Barbara Independent reported his passing; he was widely recognized as a veteran character actor.

Noozhawk

Born Marion Wilkinson Smithers Jr. on July 10, 1927, in Richmond, Virginia, he grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey. After college at Hampden-Sydney and Catholic University, he moved to New York in 1950. He debuted on Broadway in 1951 as Tybalt opposite Olivia de Havilland in *Romeo and Juliet*, earning a Theater World Award. He joined The Actors Studio in 1952 and won an Obie Award in 1957 for Treplev in *The Seagull*.

Noozhawk

Smithers amassed nearly 400 TV credits, including Star Trek’s 1968 episode “Bread and Circuses,” *The Invaders*, *Mission: Impossible*, *Hawaii Five-O*, and *Dallas*, where he played oil baron Jeremy Wendell in 50 episodes (1981, 1984-89). Film roles include *Attack* (1956), *Trouble Man* (1972), *Scorpio* (1973), *Papillon* (1973) as Warden Barrot, and *Deathsport* (1978).

Hollywood Reporter

In 1976, while starring in *Executive Suite*, Smithers sued MGM for breaching a contract clause that barred other cast members from higher pay or billing. He claimed an MGM executive threatened blacklisting. A jury and the California Supreme Court ruled for him; he later said, “we won it big.” The case now teaches entertainment-law students about actors’ contractual rights.

Hollywood Reporter

Smithers asserted that his compensation on *Dallas* was insufficient, leading to his departure after a stalled salary negotiation. He also remarked that collaborating with co-star Larry Hagman demanded he perform at his highest level. No comment from *Dallas* producers was reported.

Hollywood Reporter

The dispute highlighted broader 1980s concerns that long-running soaps underpaid supporting actors, a point echoed by Smithers.

Hollywood Reporter

• “we won it big,” — William Smithers, on his MGM lawsuit.

Hollywood Reporter

• “I feel like I had to be at the top of my game when I was working with him.” — William Smithers, on Larry Hagman.

Hollywood Reporter

• “My agent was convinced that they would come to the figure that we asked for,” he said, “but they didn’t.” — William Smithers, on his Dallas departure.

Hollywood Reporter

• “The rule here is total silence,” — Warden Barrot (William Smithers), in *Papillon* (1973).

Hollywood Reporter

From 1995, Smithers lived in Santa Barbara with his wife, acting teacher Loraine Hull-Smithers. He created the Santa Barbara Theatre of the Air (2003-05), co-hosted “Just Between Us!” (2010-13), served on TV Santa Barbara’s board and the city’s Arts Advisory Committee, and authored the ebook *The Wizard of Sacramento: Governor Jerry Brown* (2018). His body of work and the legal precedent he set remain influential.

Noozhawk