Born: July 3, 1943
Age: 81
Birthplace: New Lisbon, Wisconsin, U.S.
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 (Star Trek, The X-Files). He also starred in the seventh season of 24.
Smith was born in New Lisbon, Wisconsin, the son of Mabel Annette Lund (née Larson) and George Smith. 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. Smith grew up in the San Fernando Valley and graduated from Canoga Park High School of Canoga Park, California in 1961; he was class president in his senior year. Smith graduated from San Jose State College in 1965 with a B.A. and Stanford University in 1969 with an M.F.A.
Onstage, 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, the villain 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.
Before That '70s Show his other roles included playing Mr. Sue on Fox's "espionage comedy" The New Adventures of Beans Baxter from 1987-89. He also co-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 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 married Cecilia Souza in 1964. The couple divorced in 1974. Smith then married Joan Pirkle in 1988. Smith has one daughter, Laurel Garner, and one son, Shannon Smith. Smith now lives in Glendale, California.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | Zoot Suit | Sergeant Smith | |
1983 | Going Berserk | Clarence | |
1983 | Blue Thunder | Bill Spradley | |
1983 | Staying Alive | Choreographer | |
1984 | Flashpoint | Carson | |
1986 | The Delos Adventure | Arthur McNeil | |
1987 | RoboCop | Clarence Boddicker | |
1988 | Rambo III | Robert Griggs | |
1988 | Two Idiots in Hollywood | District Attorney | |
1989 | True Believer | Robert Reynard | |
1989 | Heart of Dixie | Professor Flournoy | |
1989 | Dead Poets Society | Mr. Perry | |
1990 | Quick Change | Russ Crane/Lombino | |
1991 | Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country | Federation President | |
1991 | Oscar | Lt. Toomey, Chicago PD | |
1991 | Company Business | Elliot Jaffe, CIA | |
1992 | Shadows And Fog | Vogel's Follower | |
1992 | Fortress | Prison Director, Poe | |
1993 | The Crush | Cliff Forrester | |
1993 | Heart and Souls | Bankrupt Businessman | |
1993 | Boxing Helena | Doctor Alan Palmer | |
1993 | Big Wave Daves | Jack Lord | |
1994 | Dead on Sight | Julian Thompson | |
1995 | To Die For | Earl Stone | |
1995 | Last of the Dogmen | Sheriff Deegan | |
1995 | Under Siege 2: Dark Territory | General Stanley Cooper | |
1996 | A Time to Kill | Stump Sisson | |
1996 | Broken Arrow | Secretary of Defense, Baird | |
1996 | Citizen Ruth | Norm Stoney | |
1997 | Prefontaine | Curtis Cunningham | |
1998 | Shelter | Tom Cantrell | |
1998 | 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 | |
2009 | Green Lantern: First Flight | Kanjar Ro | animated |
2009 | All in the Bunker | Adolf Hitler | short film |
2011 | Cedar Rapids | Orin Helgesson | |
2012 | Men in a Box | Dr. Skinner | short film |
2012 | Hitchcock | Geoffrey Shurlock | |
2013 | Turbo | The CEO | |
2015 | Raise the ToyGantic | Ted Greenley | short film |
2015 | Regular Show: The Movie | Gene | |
2016 | Amityville: The Reawakening | TBA |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | Soap | Man in laundromat | |
1980 | Me and Maxx | Dwayne | |
1980-1981 | Lou Grant | Various roles | |
1983 | Renegades | Captain Scanlon | |
1984 | The A-Team | Mr. Carson | |
1984 | Blue Thunder | Bill Spradley | |
1984 | Riptide | Merle Wilson | |
1985 | Stir Crazy | Bo Carter | |
1985 | It's a Living | Senior Agent | |
1986 | Stingray | Sgt. Edward Fiddler | |
1986 | North and South | Col. Hiram Berdan | miniseries |
1986 | Newhart | Chet | |
1986 | The Christmas Gift | Jake Richards | TV movie |
1987 | 21 Jump Street | Spencer Phillips | |
1987 | The New Adventures of Beans Baxter | Mr. Sue | |
1988 | It's Garry Shandling's Show | Paul Bosgang | |
1989 | The Nightmare Years | Dr. Joseph Goebbels | miniseries |
1990 | 12:01 PM | Myron Castleman | TV movie |
1993 | Picket Fences | Barry Jenkins | |
1993 | Big Wave Dave's | Jack Lord | |
1993-1996 | Eek! The Cat | Dinosaur Military Commander | |
1993-1997 | The Terrible Thunderlizards | General Galapagos | |
1996 | The X-Files | Agent Bill Patterson | "Grotesque" |
1996 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Thrax | |
1997 | Men In Black: The Series | Forbus, Agent H | |
1997 | Star Trek: Voyager | Annorax | |
1998 | The Magnificent Seven | Col. Emmett Anderson | |
1998 | A Bright Shining Lie | General Westmoreland | TV Film |
1998-2006 | That '70s Show | Red Forman | |
1999 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Jacob Solomon | |
1999 | Todd McFarlane's Spawn | Robert Sullivan | |
2001 | Gary and Mike | Officer Dick | |
2001 | Batman Beyond | Agent James Bennet | Season 3 Episode 12 |
2001 | UC: Undercover | William Murphy | |
2001-2002 | The Zeta Project | Agent James Bennet | |
2002 | Fillmore! | Mr. Galser | |
2002 | Everybody Loves Raymond | Famous Baseball Player | |
2004-2006 | The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy | Grim's Dad | |
2004 | Malcolm in the Middle | Principal Block | |
2004 | Justice League | Galactic Court Judge | |
2005 | Chalkzone | Himself | with Stephen Colbert |
2005 | Robot Chicken | Various voices | |
2005 | Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! | Ciracus | |
2006 | Handy Manny | Mr. Noodlander | |
2006-2007 | Squirrel Boy | Robert "Bob" Johnson | |
2006-2009 | Medium | Agent Edward Cooper | |
2007 | Psych | Captain Conners | |
2007 | House MD | Dr. Obyedkov | "Half-Wit" |
2007 | Shorty McShorts' Shorts | Truant Officer Fabian | |
2008-2009 | Worst Week | Dick Clayton | |
2009 | 24 | Senator Blaine Mayer | |
2009 | Family Guy | Himself (Cameo) | |
2009 | Titan Maximum | Mercury General | |
2010 | Neighbors from Hell | Don Killbride | |
2010 | Childrens Hospital | Ben Hayflick | |
2011 | Love Bites | Ed Strathmore | |
2011 | CHAOS | H.J. Higgins | |
2011 | Green Lantern: The Animated Series | Shyir Rev | |
2012-present | Regular Show | Gene | Recurring |
2012 | Dan Vs. | Mechanic Mike | |
2012 | Wedding Band | Hank Henderson | |
2012 | Robot and Monster | Mr. Wheelie | |
2013 | Body of Proof | Earl Brown | |
2013-2014 | Beware the Batman | Lt. James Gordon | |
2014-2015 | Resurrection | Henry Langston | |
2015 | Maron | Tier 4 | |
2015 | Rick and Morty | General Nathan | |
2015 | Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories | Father Krang | |
2015-2016 | Agent Carter | Vernon Masters | FBI agent in season 1 and 2 |
2015 | Patriot | Leslie Claret | Pilot |