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NEED TO KNOW
Charles C. Stevenson Jr. has died
The actor, best known for playing Smitty in Will & Grace, died at age 95 on Jan. 19, his son confirmed to Variety
Stevenson was also known for performances in Men in Black, The Office and Ghost World
Charles C. Stevenson Jr., the actor who played beloved bartender Smitty inWill & Grace, has died. He was 95.
Stevenson died of natural causes in Camarillo, Calif., on Jan. 19, his son Scott later confirmed toVarietyon Thursday, Feb. 5.
His other notable roles included performances inSnow Buddies,Men in Black,The OfficeandGhost World, as well as a string of uncredited bit roles in other television shows and films.
"In his own words, his job was 'marrying or burying people,' " Scott toldVarietyin a statement, noting that his dad would also play priests and pastors. "As he told it, the panic-stricken director would invariably come to him to beg him to find a way to fill in unscripted space between 'We are gathered here together' (where he'd probably get his close-up) and the 'amen' at the end of the scene (where he usually wouldn't). Stevenson admitted that he got pretty good at that."
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Stevenson was raised in Piedmont, California, served in the Navy during the Korean War and eventually left for Los Angeles at age 50 as he pursued a career in public service, perVariety.
His acting debut came in a 1982 episode ofVoyagers, before he spent the rest of the '80s taking on bit roles, many of which were uncredited, like inCheersandL.A. Law. In the '90s, Stevenson appeared inBaywatch,Everybody Loves Raymond,Family Matters,Ellenand 1997'sMen in Black(in which he played Agent Bee).
Of Stevenson's 100+ additional roles, he played Norman in 2001'sGhost World, a "mine shaft guy" inThe Office, Sheriff Ryan inSnow Buddiesand a few variations of an elderly man or grandfather inShameless,Curb Your EnthusiasmandMy Wife and Kids.
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OnWill & Grace, Smitty debuted in season 2's "Tea and a Total Lack of Sympathy" (played by another actor, before Stevenson took on the role). He was best known for his banter withMegan Mullally's Karen Walker, which sometimes involved him sharing family trauma.
Smitty would later return in the show's revival episodes, which ran for three additional seasons from 2017 to 2020.
Speaking withGold Derbyin 2018, Mullally recalled being "obsessed" with Stevenson's character, who she said "was always funny" — even when he had to say just "one line."
"They gave Charles/Smitty, they gave him more to do," Mullally said of the revival episodes. "They gave him more lines and jokes, and he freaking nailed every single thing they gave him. He nailed it."
She added, "The first time when we had a run-through for the writers and he came out with those lines, people were falling out of their chairs. They were like, 'We've been wasting this incredible resource. This guy is a comedic gem, and all these years we didn't know he was capable of so much more.' "
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