Kurtwood Smith is one of those character actors who everyone knows. Of course, he is wildly popular for his role on That '70s Show, but he has appeared in dozens upon dozens of TV shows and movies throughout the years.
Of course, most of his roles are relegated to grouchy old guys (That '70s Show) or just straight-up villains (RoboCop). But darned if he isn't the best grouchy old guy in the business. And we're here to give you the best of the best.
These are Kurtwood Smith's five best movies and five best TV shows, according to IMDb.
10 Movie: Deep Impact (1998) - 6.2
All things considered, 6.2 isn't that bad of a score for a disaster film. Deep Impact is an asteroid sci-fi flick that was unfortunately overshadowed by Armageddon, which was released just two months later. In the former, Kurtwood Smith portrays a prominent NASA employee by the name of Otis Hefter. He has cool '70s Show-esque lines like "Get the g*****n codes!" Even when he's a NASA employee he can't escape his typecasting.
9 Movie: Hitchcock (2012) - 6.8
Hitchcock is a biographical film about...well, you can probably guess that much. But unlike most biopics, Hitchcock doesn't span Hitchcock's entire life; rather, it explores the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville during the making of Psycho.
Kurtwood Smith plays Geoffrey Shurlock, a snooty guy who tries to influence the direction of the famous shower sequence. Lines like "Is there any improper suggestion of nudity?" and "The addition of a lyrical score will not change my opinion!" are prominent. So, again, Smith is the stuck-up grouchy guy.
8 Movie: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) - 7.2
The Undiscovered Country is notable in that it is the final film in the original Star Trek series to feature the original cast. The fact that Kurtwood Smith was a part of that is more than enough to be proud of. On top of that, the movie itself is actually quite good. It did well at the box office, the critics liked it, and Star Trek fans — perhaps the hardest to please of all — scored it a 7.2 on IMDb. Granted, Smith doesn't have the largest role in the movie; he plays "Federation President." But still, it that's the kind of role and experience an actor remembers for the rest of their life.
7 Movie: Girl, Interrupted (1999) - 7.3
Girl, Interrupted is a very popular movie, if for nothing more than Angelina Jolie's astounding performance. She plays the sociopathic Lisa Rowe and won all the major awards, including the Golden Globe, SAG, and Oscar. Alas, she sort of overpowered the rest of the cast, and said cast includes Kurtwood Smith.
He plays Dr. Crumble, a retired therapist who sees Winona Ryder's Susanna Kaysen. He's the one that sends her to the mental institution, so really, Smith has a very important role in the plot. Not the biggest role, no, but an important one.
6 TV Show: Perpetual Grace, LTD (2019) - 7.5
Perpetual Grace, LTD was a little-watched but critically praised neo-noir that aired on Epix in 2019. The series stars Jimmi Simpson and Ben Kingsley as a drifter and a pastor, respectively, who go to battle. In the middle of this is Kurtwood Smith, who portrays Uncle Dave. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled after its first season, and had aired 10 episodes altogether, with Smith appearing in six. We would have loved to have seen more of this show, both for Smith's sake and ours.
5 TV Show: The Ranch (2016-20) - 7.5
The Ranch is a comedy drama about a dysfunctional family of ranchers from Colorado. It's also known as a certifiable That '70s Show reunion. A ton of '70s Show alums have appeared on the show in some capacity, including Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Wilmer Valderrama, and Debra Jo Rupp. Not wanting to be left out of the friendly reunion, Smith joined the cast as Sam Peterson, a fellow rancher.
4 Movie: RoboCop (1987) - 7.5
And now we come to Kurtwood Smith's crowning film achievement: the gloriously schlocky and endlessly silly RoboCop. Unlike his other film roles, Smith's is actually quite substantial in RoboCop. He played antagonist Clarence Boddicker, the leader of the Boddicker Gang, and the man primarily responsible for "killing" Alex Murphy.
His role was fantastic, but his death was even better — having his carotid artery severed by RoboCop's data spike and falling into nasty, rusty water. It's Smith's greatest and most popular, film role.
3 TV Show: That '70s Show (1998-2006) - 8.1
It's fitting that this comes right after RoboCop, as That '70s Show is Kurtwood Smith's greatest and most popular television role. Smith wonderfully portrays Red Forman, Eric's biological father but the primary "father figure" to the group as a whole. Red is given the role of the responsible '50s man: hard-working Korea vet, family-oriented, and very rigid in his conservative beliefs. He is meant as the primary foil to the liberal, rambunctious, and generally carefree teenagers of the '70s. It's a great role, and it has given us many, many iconic lines that we still repeat today.
2 TV Show: Patriot (2015-18) - 8.3
Patriot wasn't nearly as popular as That '70s Show, but it does have a higher rating on IMDb. Perhaps that's due to its more dramatic nature, as prestigious crime dramas are generally rated higher than sitcoms. Patriot follows Michael Dorman as John Tavner, an intelligence officer who must pose as an industrial engineer in Milwaukee. Kurtwood Smith portrays Leslie Claret, an elderly man who takes an instant disliking to Tavner, and treats him in an antagonistic manner. So, Smith's a bad guy. Again.
1 TV Show: Regular Show (2010-17) - 8.4
Regular Show was an enormously popular animated program that ran on the Cartoon Network for the better part of the decade. It was nominated for six Emmys and seven Annie Awards throughout its eight season, 250+ episode run, and Kurtwood Smith was a part of it. A very small part, yes, but a part nonetheless. He is credited as Gene the Vending Machine, a role that spanned seven episodes between 2012 and 2016.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/2Jlo2Tf
0 Comments