Kurtwood Smith

Kurtwood Larson Smith (born July 3, 1943) is an American television and film actor. He is known for playing Clarence Boddicker in RoboCop (1987) and Red Forman in That '70s Show, as well as for his many appearances in science fiction films and television programs (Lou Grant, Star Trek, The X-Files). He also starred in the seventh season of 24.

Kurtwood Smith
Smith at the 2010 Comic Con in San Diego
Born (1943-07-03) July 3, 1943
Education
OccupationActor, voice actor
Years active1970–present
Spouse(s)
  • Cecilia Souza
    (m. 1964; div. 1974)
  • Joan Pirkle
    (m. 1988)
Children2

Early life

Smith was born in New Lisbon, Wisconsin, the son of Mabel Annette Lund (née Larson) and George Smith.[1] Smith's mother was a fan of a country singer named Kurt (or Curt) in the early 1940s. However, she thought "Kurt Smith" was too short a name, so she added "wood" ("she just tacked it on to the end", he said); Smith has said that he is likely the only Kurtwood.[2] Smith's father was a Major during the Second World War and was killed in Europe.[3]

Smith grew up in the San Fernando Valley and graduated from Canoga Park High School in Canoga Park, California in 1961; he was class president in his senior year.[1] Smith graduated from San Jose State College in 1965 with a B.A. and Stanford University in 1969 with an M.F.A.[4]

Career

On stage, Smith won three Drama-Logue Awards for his performances in Billy Budd, Idiot's Delight, and Green Grow the Lilacs. In his film career, he portrayed Clarence Boddicker in Paul Verhoeven's science fiction action movie RoboCop and the father role as Red Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, which ran from 1998 to 2006. After That '70s Show ended, Smith played Senator Blaine Mayer in the seventh season of the action thriller 24, and portrayed Dick Clayton in the CBS series Worst Week. He enjoyed a recurring role as a rogue FBI agent in Seasons 3–5 of the NBC (later CBS) series Medium, appearing in later episodes as a ghost after his character's death. He played the main character Henry Langston in the ABC sci-fi/drama Resurrection which ran for two seasons (2014–15). Currently, he is a regular on the Amazon original dramedy series Patriot.

His other roles included playing Mr. Sue on Fox's "espionage comedy" The New Adventures of Beans Baxter in 1987. He also starred as the strict father of Robert Sean Leonard's Neil in 1989's Dead Poets Society. He made a number of appearances in the Star Trek franchise, playing the President of the Federation in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, a Cardassian named Thrax in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Things Past", and a Krenim scientist named Annorax in the Star Trek: Voyager two-part episode "Year of Hell".

He also has an extensive voice acting résumé, appearing in computer games such as Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, and FreeSpace 2, and on a number of animated series. He played a recurring role on the claymation series Gary & Mike as the vengeful Officer Dick and voiced the dinosaurian military commander character General Galapagos in the Savage Steve Holland produced Fox animated series Terrible Thunderlizards. He played the voice of Bob Johnson on Squirrel Boy and provided the voice of Kanjar Ro in Green Lantern: First Flight and starred as the sheriff in Last of the Dogmen. Smith appeared on the Netflix show The Ranch as Mr. Peterson, a farmer dying of brain cancer.

Personal life

Smith married Cecilia Souza in 1964. The couple divorced in 1974. Smith then married Joan Pirkle, who appeared with him in Robocop, in 1988. She played the secretary of Ronny Cox's character, Dick Jones. Smith has one daughter, Laurel Garner, and one son, Shannon Smith. Smith lives in Lafayette, California.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1980 Roadie Security Guard
1981 Zoot Suit Sergeant Smith
1983 Staying Alive Choreographer
Going Berserk Clarence
1984 Flashpoint Carson
1987 RoboCop Clarence Boddicker
The Delos Adventure Arthur McNeil
1988 Rambo III Robert Griggs
Two Idiots in Hollywood District Attorney
1989 True Believer Robert Reynard
Dead Poets Society Mr. Perry
Heart of Dixie Professor Flournoy
1990 Quick Change Russ Crane/Vince Lombino
1991 Oscar Lt. Toomey, Chicago PD
Company Business Elliot Jaffe, CIA
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Federation President
Shadows and Fog Vogel's Follower
1992 Fortress Prison Director Poe
1993 Boxing Helena Dr. Alan Harrison
The Crush Cliff Forrester
Heart and Souls Patterson Uncredited
Big Wave Daves Jack Lord
RoboCop 3 Clarence Boddicker Flashback footage from 1987 film
1994 Dead on Sight Julian Thompson
1995 To Die For Earl Stone
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory General Stanley Cooper
Last of the Dogmen Sheriff Deegan
1996 Citizen Ruth Norm Stoney
Broken Arrow Secretary of Defense, Baird
A Time to Kill Stump Sisson
1997 Prefontaine Curtis Cunningham
1998 Shelter Tom Cantrell
Deep Impact Otis Hefter
1999 Girl, Interrupted Dr. Crumble
2002 Teddy Bears' Picnic Secretary of Transportation, William Easter
2004 Evil Remains Dr. Theodore Rosen
2005 The Trouble with Dee Dee William Rutherford
2006 Hard Scrambled Benno
2007 Entry Level Nick
2009 Green Lantern: First Flight Kanjar Ro Voice
All in the Bunker Adolf Hitler Short film
2011 Cedar Rapids Orin Helgesson
2012 Men in a Box Dr. Skinner Short film
Hitchcock Geoffrey Shurlock
2013 Turbo The CEO Voice
2015 Raise the ToyGantic Ted Greenley Short film
Regular Show: The Movie Gene Voice
2017 Amityville: The Awakening Dr. Milton
El Camino Christmas Sheriff Bob Fuller

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1980 Soap Man in laundromat 1 episode
Me and Maxx Dwayne Episode: "Some Are Savers"
1980–1981 Lou Grant DeGaetano / DeRopp / Fire Captain 3 episodes
1983 Renegades Captain Scanlon 6 episodes
1984 The A-Team Mr. Carson Episode: "The Battle of Bel Air"
Blue Thunder Bill Spradley Episode: "Revenge in the Sky"
Riptide Merle Wilson Episode: "The Orange Grove"
1985 Stir Crazy Bo Carter Episode: "The Ping Pong Caper"
The Midnight Hour Captain Warren Jensen Television film
The Best Times Sam Ballard Episode: "Volleyball"
The Paper Chase Episode: "Security"
It's a Living Senior Agent Episode: "Hail to the Chef"
Deadly Messages Lieutenant Burton Television film
1986 Stingray Sgt. Edward Fiddler Episode: "Sometimes You Gotta Sing the Blues"
North and South Col. Hiram Berdan Miniseries
Newhart Chet Episode: "Dick the Kid"
The Christmas Gift Jake Richards Television film
1987 21 Jump Street Spencer Phillips 2 episodes
The New Adventures of Beans Baxter Mr. Sue 5 episodes
1988 It's Garry Shandling's Show Paul Bosgang Episode: "Save the Planet"
1989 The Nightmare Years Dr. Joseph Goebbels Miniseries
1990 12:01 PM Myron Castleman Television short film
The Famous Teddy Z Episode: "Loyalty"
1993 Picket Fences Barry Jenkins Episode: "Be My Valentine"
Big Wave Dave's Jack Lord 6 episodes
1993–1996 Eek! The Cat Dinosaur Military Commander (voice) 6 episodes
1993–1997 The Terrible Thunderlizards General Galapagos
1994 While Justice Sleeps Leonard Rosenglass Television film
1995 500 Nations (voice) 3 episodes
1996 The X-Files Agent Bill Patterson "Grotesque"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Thrax Episode: "Things Past"
1997 Men in Black: The Series Agent H / Forbis (voice) 2 episodes
Star Trek: Voyager Annorax Episode: "Year of Hell"
1998 The Magnificent Seven Col. Emmett Anderson Episode: "Ghosts of the Confederacy"
A Bright Shining Lie General Westmoreland Television film
Safety Patrol Principal Tromp Television film
1998–2006 That '70s Show Red Forman Main Cast
1999 3rd Rock from the Sun Jacob Solomon Episode: "Dick Solomon of the Indiana Solomons"
Todd McFarlane's Spawn Robert Sullivan (voice) Episode: "Seed of the Hellspawn"
2001 Gary and Mike Officer Dick
Batman Beyond Agent James Bennet(voice) Episode: "Countdown"
UC: Undercover William Murphy Episode: "Of Fathers and Sons"
Justice League Prosecutor (voice) Episode: "In Blackest Night"
2001–2002 The Zeta Project Agent James Bennet (voice) 14 episodes
2002 Fillmore! Mr. Galser (voice) Episode: "To Mar a Stal"
Everybody Loves Raymond Famous Baseball Player
2004 Malcolm in the Middle Principal Block Episode: "Dirty Magazine"
2004–2006 The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy Grim's Dad 2 episodes
2005 ChalkZone Himself with Stephen Colbert
Robot Chicken Various voices 2 episodes
Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! Ciracus (voice) Episode: "Girl Trouble"
2006 Handy Manny Mr. Noodlander (voice) Episode: "A Sticky Fix/Paint Job"
2006–2007 Squirrel Boy Robert "Bob" Johnson (voice) 15 episodes
2006–2009 Medium Agent Edward Cooper 3 episodes
2007 Psych Captain Conners Episode: "Forget Me Not"
House MD Dr. Obyedkov Episode: "Half-Wit"
Shorty McShorts' Shorts Truant Officer Fabian (voice) Episode: "Troy Ride"
2008–2009 Worst Week Dick Clayton 16 episodes
2009 24 Senator Blaine Mayer 7 episodes
Family Guy Himself (voice)
Titan Maximum Mercury General (voice) 2 episodes
2010 Neighbors from Hell Don Killbride (voice) 10 episodes
Childrens Hospital Ben Hayflick 2 episodes
2011 Love Bites Ed Strathmore Episode: "How To..."
CHAOS H.J. Higgins 13 episodes
Green Lantern: The Animated Series Shyir Rev (voice) Episode: "Beware My Power"
2012–2017 Regular Show Gene (voice) Recurring
2012 Dan Vs. Mechanic Mike (voice) Episode: "Dan Vs. The Mechanic"
Wedding Band Hank Henderson Episode: "I Don't Wanna Grow Up"
Robot and Monster Mr. Wheelie (voice) Episode: "Dirty Money/What J.D. Wants"
2013 Body of Proof Earl Brown Episode: "Daddy Issues"
2013–2014 Beware the Batman Lt. James Gordon (voice) 15 episodes
2014–2015 Resurrection Henry Langston 21 episodes
2015 Maron Tier 4 Episode: "The Node"
Rick and Morty General Nathan (voice) Episode: "Get Schwifty"
Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories Father Krang Episode: "Tornado"
2015–2016 Agent Carter Vernon Masters 7 episodes
2015–2018 Patriot Leslie Claret 10 episodes
2016 TripTank Coach (voice) Episode: "The D.O.N.G."
2016–2017 Pig Goat Banana Cricket Angry Old Raisin (voice) 8 episodes
2018 F is for Family Stan Chilsons (voice) Episode: Summer Vacation
2017–2020 The Ranch Old Man Peterson Recurring in Seasons 2-4
2019 Perpetual Grace, LTD Uncle Dave Season 1 Recurring Role
2019 Suits Ted Tucker Episode: "Scenic Route"
2019 Perfect Harmony Tinsley Episode: "It's Electric"
2020 Star Trek: Lower Decks Clar Voice

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2001 Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel General Dakker

References

  1. "Kurtwood Smith biography". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  2. According to an interview with Smith on Caroline Rhea's syndicated television show
  3. Smith, Kurtwood (November 11, 2017). "Veterans Day at my father's grave in the Netherlands American Cemetery near Margraten. Though I never knew him I always remember him!pic.twitter.com/KZuOF5B64Y". Twitter.com.
  4. "Kurtwood Smith". TVGuide.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
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