Lane Smith, you rocked

This week, America lost an underrated figure in pop culture” Lane Smith, who died at age 69 early last week. Who, you ask? Only one of the best character actors ever. C’mon, you know this guy.

He is known to many as “that prosecuting attorney in My Cousin Vinny”…but in my heart, he’s a fake journalism icon. Smith played Daily Planet editor Parry White in TV’s “Lois and Clark” - which was my favorite show at one time (and he was in the movie Network to boot).

The man made me want to be a reporter, because he was the coolest editor ever. Though he was a bit outrageous in his editorial decisions (letting Lois Lane keep her job despite her massive idiocy and unethical behavior, for one)…he was surprisingly realistic in his demeanor. He was a take-no-prisoners news mind for the fictional ages. So I loved him.

Thanks a lot, Mr. Smith. Though you toiled in relative obscurity and had to make a film with Pauly Shore, you were a big part of my formative years.