When you think of tough guys in Hollywood, there’s one name that stands above the rest: William Smith. The man wasn’t just an actor—he was a force of nature, both on and off the screen.

Smith’s resume reads like a list of accomplishments from a superhero. Let’s take a look:

• Record-holder for reverse-curling 163 lbs.
• Two-time Arm Wrestling World Champion
• Downhill skier and motocross competitor
• 31-1 record as an amateur boxer
• Air Force Light-Heavyweight Weightlifting Champion
• Performed 5,100 continuous sit-ups over a five-hour period
• Played semi-pro football for the Wiesbaden Flyers in Germany
• Won a Muscle Beach contest by performing 35 inverted handstand dips
• Studied Kung Fu with legends like Jimmy Woo and Ed Parker
• Fought wildfires in California in the 1950s

This isn’t just a guy playing tough on screen. William Smith was tough. And that toughness was on full display in roles like Falconetti in Rich Man, Poor Man or that legendary fistfight with Clint Eastwood in Any Which Way You Can. But if you want to see Smith at his rawest, watch the fight scene in Darker Than Amber. It’s so intense because the punches weren’t fake—Smith and Rod Taylor ended up in a real fight, and it was all captured on film.

Beyond his physical prowess, Smith was also brilliant. Fluent in five languages, he held a PhD and served as a Russian intercept interrogator during the Korean War. With both CIA and NSA clearance, he flew secret ferret missions over Soviet Russia. Let that sink in: this guy was literally a real-life action hero.

William Smith wasn’t just tough; he was the definition of grit, strength, and intelligence. He’s a guy who didn’t just portray the rough-and-tumble on screen—he lived it. If there was ever someone you didn’t want to mess with, it was him.