Dick Smothers | |
---|---|
Tom (left) and Dick (right), 1965
|
|
Born |
Richard Remick Smothers November 20, 1939 New York City, New York, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, comedian, musician |
Years active | 1961–present |
Spouse(s) | Denby Franklin (1997–2006) Lorraine Martin (m. 1986) Linda Miller (1959–1969) |
Website | smothersbrothers |
Richard Remick "Dick" Smothers (born November 20, 1939) is an American actor, comedian, composer and musician. He is best known for being half of the musical comedy team the Smothers Brothers, with his older brother Tom.
Smothers was born in New York City in 1939, the son of Ruth (née Remick), a homemaker; and Thomas B. Smothers, an Army officer who died as a prisoner of war (P.O.W.) in April 1945. After moving to Southern California, Dick attended Verdugo Hills High School in Tujunga, California, and graduated from Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, California, and later attended San José State University then called San José State College. At SJSC, Smothers participated as a distance runner for the track team (coached by Lloyd (Bud) Winter).
The Smothers Brothers have appeared on numerous television shows over the past three decades, including two shows of their own: The Smothers Brothers Show, a sit-com from 1965 to 1966; and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, a variety show in 1967. In 1993, he played one of the characters on cartoon Christmas movie Precious Moments: Timmy's Special Delivery. Without Tom, he also appeared in the 1995 Martin Scorsese-directed film Casino in an uncharacteristically serious role as a dishonest Nevada State Senator. His character and the dialogue in one scene was partly based on the career of former United States Senator Harry Reid, who once chaired the Nevada Gaming Commission.