Smithers Passes
Veteran Actor William Smithers, Known for "Dallas" and "Papillon" Roles, Dies at 98
William Smithers, the character actor best known for playing ruthless oil tycoon Jeremy Wendell on the soap opera *Dallas* and the menacing Warden Barrot in the 1973 film *Papillon*, has died at 98. He passed away on May 26, 2026, in Santa Barbara, California, six weeks shy of his 99th birthday, according to WPXI.
Born in Richmond, Virginia, on July 10, 1927, Smithers built a career spanning seven decades — from Broadway stages to primetime television — appearing in roughly 400 productions. He was also a landmark figure in entertainment law, winning a historic lawsuit against MGM that changed how actor billing rights are protected.
From Broadway Debut to Hollywood's Go-To Villain
Smithers first stepped onto Broadway in 1951, playing Tybalt in *Romeo and Juliet* alongside Olivia de Havilland. The role earned him the Theatre World Award. By 1952, he had been accepted as a life member of the prestigious Actors Studio, according to WSOC-TV. Six years later, he won an Obie Award for playing Treplev in Chekhov's *The Seagull*.
He made his film debut in 1956's *Attack!* before landing the role of Warden Barrot in *Papillon*, the Oscar-nominated 1973 film starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. From 1981 through 1989, he appeared in 50 episodes of *Dallas* as Jeremy Wendell — a cold, calculating oil baron that fans called the only villain who could truly out-maneuver J.R. Ewing, according to KIRO 7.
The MGM Lawsuit That Changed Entertainment Law Forever
In 1976, Smithers sued MGM for $2 million over his billing in the CBS drama *Executive Suite*. His contract included a "Most Favored Nations" clause — a guarantee that no other actor would receive more prominent credit or higher pay than him, with three exceptions. MGM broke that agreement by elevating other actors to "star" billing, according to WHIO.
MGM executive Harris Katleman allegedly threatened that Smithers would be "hard pressed" to find work at CBS again if he sued. Smithers sued anyway. A jury found MGM's behavior "oppressive and malicious." The case reached the California Supreme Court and established that an actor's billing credit has real, measurable monetary value — a ruling now cited in entertainment law textbooks, according to WOKV.
A Navy Veteran Who Never Left the Stage
Before his acting career, Smithers served 14 months as a Seaman 1st Class in the U.S. Navy during the final months of World War II. At just 20 years old, he played Thomas Jefferson in the 1947 debut of Paul Green's symphonic drama *The Common Glory*, according to 97X Online.
Even in his later years, Smithers stayed active. He directed the *Santa Barbara Theatre of the Air* for KCSB radio well into his 80s. He and his wife, acting teacher S. Loraine Hull, co-produced a training DVD called *The Method*, rooted in Lee Strasberg's techniques. Hull died in 2022. Smithers is survived by the students and legal battles he shaped, according to WHIO.
SAG-AFTRA and Schools Still Cite His Legal Victory
Smithers' win against MGM did not just help him. It gave all performers a legal tool to fight back when studios ignore billing contracts. SAG-AFTRA has cited the case in modern disputes over digital credits and streaming billing, according to WPXI.
Acting conservatories are expected to revisit his story as well. His career showed that a character actor — someone who rarely gets top billing — could still reshape an entire industry. He appeared in *Star Trek*, *Mission: Impossible*, and *The Six Million Dollar Man*, among hundreds of other productions. His death marks the end of a generation that bridged live theater and the golden age of primetime television.
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