Charles Martin Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charles Martin Smith
Smith at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	(1953-10-30) October 30, 1953 (age 71) Van Nuys, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor director writer
Years active	1971–present
Spouse(s)	Ursula Martin ​ (divorced)​
Children	1
Parent(s)	Frank Smith (father)
Relatives	Paul J. Smith (uncle), Hank Smith (uncle)

Charles Martin Smith (born October 30, 1953) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles in many movies and TV shows. He also directs and writes films, especially ones about animals and families.

One of his most famous acting roles was as Terry "The Toad" Fields in the movie American Graffiti (1973). He also starred in Starman (1984) and The Untouchables (1987). After filming Never Cry Wolf in 1983, he moved to British Columbia, Canada, where he lives today.

As a director, Charles Martin Smith has made popular movies like Air Bud (1997), Dolphin Tale (2011), Dolphin Tale 2 (2014), and A Dog's Way Home (2019). He has also been nominated for several awards for his directing and writing, including for The Snow Walker (2003) and Stone of Destiny (2008).

About Charles Martin Smith

Early life

Charles Martin Smith was born in Van Nuys, California. His father, Frank Smith, was a film cartoonist and animator. His uncle, Paul J. Smith, was also an animator and director for the Walter Lantz Studios.

When Charles was young, he lived in Paris for three years. His father was in charge of the English-speaking part of a French animation studio there. He later finished high school in Reseda, California. He then studied theater at California State University, Northridge.

Acting Career

Charles Martin Smith was discovered by a talent agent while performing in a school play. After working in film and television for a few years, he got the role of Terry "The Toad" Fields in George Lucas's 1973 movie American Graffiti. He played this character again in the sequel, More American Graffiti (1979).

In 1974, he acted alongside Ron Howard in The Spikes Gang. He also played one of Buddy Holly's bandmates in The Buddy Holly Story. Later, he starred as a scientist in Never Cry Wolf. His role in Starman as Mark Shermin, a scientist who helps an alien, was also well-liked.

He appeared in the movie The Untouchables. In the 1990s, he was in films like Speechless and Deep Impact. He also acted in TV mini-series such as Streets of Laredo and Kingdom Hospital.

Never Cry Wolf (1983)

Charles Martin Smith spent almost three years making the movie Never Cry Wolf. This film was based on a book by environmentalist Farley Mowat. Smith was very involved in this movie, not just acting but also helping with the writing.

He said it was a challenging film to make because he was often the only actor on set. The movie was filmed in Canada's Yukon and Nome, Alaska. During this time, he fell in love with the Northwest. This led him to move to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he has lived since the mid-1980s. He became good friends with the author, Farley Mowat, and they stayed friends until Mowat passed away in 2014.

Directing Films

Besides acting, Charles Martin Smith has also focused on directing and writing films since the mid-1990s. His first movie as a director was the horror-comedy Trick or Treat (1986).

He directed the successful family movie Air Bud (1997) for Disney. He also directed the first episode of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). In 2003, he wrote and directed the Canadian film The Snow Walker. This movie was nominated for many awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Smith.

In 2007, he wrote and directed Stone of Destiny. This film was shown as the closing movie at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. His next big film was Dolphin Tale (2011), which was based on a true story about a dolphin. The movie was very popular around the world.

He then wrote and directed the sequel, Dolphin Tale 2 (2014). He based the story on real events that happened at the Clearwater Marine Hospital. The whole cast from the first movie returned for the sequel. His most recent directing work includes A Dog's Way Home (2019) and A Gift from Bob (2020).

Filmography

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Charles Martin Smith para niños