Charles Martin Smith

Charles Martin Smith (born October 30, 1953) is an American actor, film and television director and screenwriter, long based in British Columbia, Canada.

His breakout role was as Terry "The Toad" Fields in George Lucas' film American Graffiti (1973), which he reprised for its sequel More American Graffiti (1979). He subsequently had notable roles in The Spikes Gang (1974), The Buddy Holly Story (1978), Starman (1984), The Untouchables (1987), Deep Cover (1992), And the Band Played On (1993), Speechless (1994) and Deep Impact (1998). After starring in the 1983 film Never Cry Wolf, a biopic of Canadian environmentalist Farley Mowat, Smith moved to British Columbia, where he has since resided.

Smith made his directorial debut with the comedy horror film Trick or Treat (1986). His subsequent films include Air Bud (1997), Dolphin Tale (2011), Dolphin Tale 2 (2014) and A Dog's Way Home (2019). He received Genie Award nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay for The Snow Walker (2003), and BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Feature Film for Stone of Destiny (2008). He has also been nominated for seven Leo Awards.

Smith was born in Van Nuys, California. His father, Frank Smith, was a film cartoonist and animator, while his uncle Paul Smith was an animator as well as a director for the Walter Lantz Studios.^{[citation needed]} Smith spent three years of his youth in Paris, where his father managed the English-language branch of a French animation studio. He received his high school diploma from Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda, California. He attended California State University, Northridge where he earned a B.A. in Theatre.

Smith was discovered by a talent agent while acting in a school play, Man of La Mancha. After a few years of working in film and television, he landed the role of Terry "The Toad" Fields in George Lucas's 1973 film American Graffiti, a role he reprised in the film's 1979 sequel, More American Graffiti.

In 1973, he and American Graffiti co-star Cindy Williams appeared together in an episode of Love, American Style titled "Love and the Time Machine".

In 1974, he starred with Ron Howard in The Spikes Gang, filmed in Spain, along with Lee Marvin and Gary Grimes, and in 1978, he earned a starring role in Cotton Candy, directed by Howard.

In 1975, he auditioned for the role of Luke Skywalker in Lucas's 1977 film Star Wars, which eventually went to Mark Hamill.