Kevin Smith (New Zealand actor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kevin Smith
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Kevin Tod Smith
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| Born |
Kevin Tod Smith
16 March 1963 Auckland, New Zealand
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| Died | 15 February 2002 (aged 38) Beijing, China
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| Occupation | Actor, musician |
| Years active | 1983–2002 |
| Spouse(s) |
Suzanne
(m. 1986) |
| Children | 3 |
Kevin Tod Smith (born March 16, 1963 – died February 15, 2002) was an actor and musician from New Zealand. He was most famous for playing Ares, the Greek god of war. He played Ares in the TV shows Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, and Young Hercules.
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Early life and interests
Kevin Smith was born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1963. His mother had Tongan and German family, and his father was from New Zealand with English roots. When Kevin was eleven, his family moved to Timaru, a town on the South Island.
He went to Timaru Boys' High School from 1976 to 1979. While there, he was part of the drama club. Kevin also played in rock and roll bands during high school. He enjoyed working out, watching TV, painting, and playing rugby. He even hoped to play for New Zealand's famous rugby team, the All Blacks.
At 17, Kevin moved to Christchurch. He worked different jobs and thought about becoming a police officer to help children. At age 20, he started studying at Canterbury University. In 1986, he married his high school girlfriend, Suzanne (Sue). They had three sons named Oscar, Tyrone, and Willard.
Acting and music career
Before acting, Kevin Smith played in several bands in New Zealand. He released albums with bands like Say Yes to Apes and Hyphen-Ears in the mid-1980s.
In 1987, Kevin got a concussion (a head injury) while playing university rugby. This meant he had to rest for about three weeks. During this time, his wife saw an advertisement for auditions for a musical tribute to Elvis Presley called Are You Lonesome Tonight. She signed him up, and he got a role!
Later that year, Kevin joined the Court Theatre in Christchurch. For the next three years, he performed in many plays. These included Don Pedro in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire.
In 1989, Kevin helped start a comedy group called Scared Scriptless in Christchurch. They performed live comedy shows. That same year, he got a role as Demian Vermeer in the New Zealand TV show Gloss. He moved to Auckland to work on the show's final season.
In 1993, Kevin played Lawrence Hayes in the movie Desperate Remedies. He then appeared as Paul Cosic in the last two seasons of the TV drama Marlin Bay. For this role, he won an award in 1995 for Best Supporting Actor in New Zealand.
Kevin also tried out for the main role in the big action movie The Phantom. However, the role went to another actor, Billy Zane.
In 1995, Kevin appeared on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys as Hercules' half-brother, Iphicles. Soon after, he joined the cast of Xena: Warrior Princess as Ares, the god of war. He became very popular playing this character. He played Ares on Hercules, Xena, and Young Hercules all at the same time!
While playing Ares, Kevin also acted in other TV shows and movies. He played a Vietnam veteran in the film Channelling Baby. He also starred as detective John Lawless in three TV movies: Lawless (1999), Lawless 2: Dead Evidence (2000), and Lawless 3: Beyond Justice (2001).
Kevin continued to act in theatre plays too. He also sang in bands like "The Picnic Boys" and "Say Yes to Apes" (later called "Hyphen-Smythe"). He was one of the lead singers for "The Wide Lapels," a band known for performing funny versions of 1970s songs.
Death
In early 2002, Kevin Smith was getting ready for his first Hollywood movie role in Tears of the Sun with Bruce Willis. He went to China to film a martial arts movie called Warriors of Virtue 2.
On February 6, 2002, Kevin finished his work on the movie set in Shijiazhuang, China. After celebrating with the film crew, he was waiting for a ride back to his hotel. He decided to walk around the film studio grounds and climbed a prop tower from another movie set. He accidentally lost his balance and fell three stories. He suffered serious head injuries.
Kevin was quickly taken to a local hospital and then moved to a hospital in Beijing. He fell into a coma and was kept on life support for ten days. On February 15, 2002, he passed away without waking up.
Kevin Smith was buried after a private funeral on February 28, 2002. A special fund, the Kevin Smith Trust, was set up for his children. A memorial service was held in Auckland, attended by many friends, actors, and over a thousand people who wanted to remember him.
One year after his death, a TV documentary called Remembering Kev: A Tribute to Kevin Smith was shown on TV2. It celebrated Kevin's life and career.
Music albums
Albums with Say Yes to Apes
- 1983 Who's That
- 1983 "Knife" (single)
- 1984 So Who Owns Death TV?
Albums with Hyphen-Ears
- 1984 What Are Stars? The Stars Are What Separates Us from the Animals You Sonovabitch!
Images for kids
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Kevin Tod Smith
See also
In Spanish: Kevin Smith (actor neozelandés) para niños
