Biography.guide
Home › People › Television actor › Bill Smitrovich
Portrait of Bill Smitrovich

Bill Smitrovich

b. 1947

American actor

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Bill Smitrovich

Born 1947. Bill Smitrovich is an American television actor, film actor, actor and voice actor.

Stanley William Zmitrowicz Jr. (born May 16, 1947), known professionally as Bill Smitrovich , is an American actor.

Personal life Smitrovich was born on May 16, 1947, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Anna (née Wojna) and Stanley William Zmitrowicz, a tool and die maker. He is of Polish descent. Bill is a graduate of the University of Bridgeport (1972) and holds an MFA from Smith College (1976). He is married to Shaw Purnell from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They have a son, Alexander John, and a daughter Maya Christina, four years younger.

Career Smitrovich has starred in a number of television series. His first prominent TV series role was in the 1980s series Crime Story as Det. Sgt. Danny Krychek. He went on to star in the hit drama series Life Goes On (1989–93). Smitrovich was the lead guest star in the pilot film of the 1980s crime drama hit series Miami Vice. He also appeared in the final episode of NYPD Blue. He has also been seen in The Henry Lee Project with Danny Glover. In 1996, Smitrovich was cast as Seattle police lieutenant Bob Bletcher in Millennium. He is known for his roles on the A&E series A Nero Wolfe Mystery (based on the Nero Wolfe detective stories by Rex Stout) as Inspector Cramer, and on the ABC series The Practice as Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Walsh and then went on to Without a Trace, where he played the recurring character of Chief Alex Olcyk. In 2010, he starred in the NBC series The Event as Vice President Raymond Jarvis.

Smitrovich has also played several characters in military roles. These include Independence Day (1996), Air Force One (1997), Thirteen Days (2000), Fail Safe (2000), and Eagle Eye (2008).

He has made many guest appearances on various television shows. His best-known appearances include the two-part Star Trek: Deep Space Nine third-season episode "Past Tense," 24, Numb3rs, NYPD Blue, Touched by an Angel, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Minds, Castle, and the Dynasty reboot.

Smitrovich has also starred in several television films, playing Alexander Haig in the 2003 biographical miniseries The Reagans, as well as roles in Futuresport (1998) and in The '60s miniseries (1999). On film, Smitrovich's roles include the Stephen King adaptation Silver Bullet (1985), Renegades (1989), The Trigger Effect (1996), Gridiron Gang (2006), and the Marvel Comics superhero film Iron Man (2008).

Bill played the role of Mr. Zimburger in the Johnny Depp film The Rum Diary. He also appeared as the head of the CIA, Hanley, in Pierce Brosnan's film The November Man.

Selected filmography

Television

Film

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Bridgeport, Smith College

People in Bill Smitrovich's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Bill Smitrovich's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Bill Smitrovich?

American actor

When was Bill Smitrovich born?

Bill Smitrovich was born on 16 May 1947 in Bridgeport.

What is Bill Smitrovich's occupation?

Bill Smitrovich is a television actor, film actor, actor and voice actor.

What nationality is Bill Smitrovich?

Bill Smitrovich is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Bill Smitrovich

· Wikidata: Q862481

· DBpedia: Bill Smitrovich

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Bill Smitrovich. https://biography.guide/bill-smitrovich/

MLA: "Bill Smitrovich." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/bill-smitrovich/.

Chicago: "Bill Smitrovich." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/bill-smitrovich/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-26 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:15 UTC