American actor William Smithers passed away at the age of 98 on May 26, 2026, in Santa Barbara, California, as confirmed by his close circle and various American media outlets.
Smithers is particularly remembered for his role as the tycoon Jeremy Wendell in the popular television series Dallas, where he appeared recurrently during the 1980s. His character was one of the prominent antagonists in the show, often clashing with the Ewing family in the oil business storylines.
Born in Richmond, Virginia in 1927, he began his career on Broadway in the 1950s and was a member of the Actors Studio. He also excelled in theater, receiving several accolades for his performances in classic and contemporary plays.
On a personal note, Smithers resided in Santa Barbara, where he had been living in retirement for years. The cause of his death has not been publicly disclosed.
William Smithers not only left behind a long career as a character actor in Hollywood, but he was also one of the early voices within the performers' union that advocated for improving contractual conditions in television during the 1960s and 1970s.
He actively participated in collective negotiations that helped strengthen residual payments for reruns, limit certain overly exclusive clauses, and solidify the notion that actors should receive compensation for the continued exploitation of their work in television and film.
While he was not the sole key figure in that process, his involvement in the Actors Studio and the union helped drive a progressive change in how studios handled economic rights of performers, during a time when the industry was still defining many of its modern standards.