Kurtwood Smith

Kurtwood Larson Smith ( born July 3, 1943 in New Lisbon, Juneau County, Wisconsin ) is an American actor and voice actor.

Life

Kurtwood Smith was the son of Mabel Annette Lund (nee Larson ) and George Smith in New Lisbon, Wisconsin born, but grew up in Los Angeles. It received its unusual name, according to an interview, his mother adored a country singer 's first name Kurt, they - as the name Kurt Smith appeared to her briefly - as supplemented by the syllable " - wood".

Smith studied at the College of San Mateo and San Jose drama. Later he got a drama scholarship to the MFA program at Stanford. During the 1970s, he was a permanent member of the Theater in Los Gatos. In 1979, he moved to Los Angeles. In the 1980s, Smith was able to establish itself as a film and serial actor. His most famous roles were in 1987 the authoritarian that of the sadistic bank robber and crack dealer Clarence Boddicker in the science fiction movie RoboCop as well as in 1989 in The Dead Poets Society, the role of the father of the boarder Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard ), with his well -meaning but stubbornness triggers a family tragedy. There were also numerous appearances - mostly in villain roles - in various TV and movie productions.

Characteristic of the actor Smith is that he was often occupied in many of his roles " against type ": So reported a film critic in the past often an indication that the appearance to " bourgeois- intellectual" acting Smith not the popular image of a movie villains fulfilled his restrained, profound way of playing in conjunction with its rather staid appearance but hints at a latent threat. The director Paul Verhoeven justified the efficiency of the "rogue Smith " in the audio commentary to RoboCop so that this facially - especially when he wear glasses - subliminal associations with the Nazi politician Heinrich Himmler wake, whose brutality is hidden also behind a bourgeois appearance would.

In 1998, Smith - instead of prevented due to contractual obligations otherwise Chuck Norris - the role of the paterfamilias Red Forman on the hit, produced until 2006 comedy series The wild seventies.

Smith has been married since 1988, a second time. An earlier marriage, from which emerged two children, was divorced in 1974. The daughter Laurel Garner was also an actress.

Filmography (selection)

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