Hal Smith
About
Biography
Biography
Known equally as an actor and for his voice-over work, Hal Smith built an impressive body of work throughout his career, which stretched across six decades. Smith's first step towards a career in show business was working as a disc jockey and voice-over talent for the Utica, New York, radio station WIBX during the late 1930s and early 1940s. His career was put on hold while he served in World War II, before he relocated to Hollywood and landed uncredited parts in movies during the early 1950s. Along the way, he picked up recurring roles in such popular television comedies as "I Married Joan" and "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet." Come the 1960s, Smith landed voice work on such animated programs as the caveman-era parody "The Flintstones" and "Space Angel,"which used the then-common "synchro-vox" technique. But it was also during this time that Smith landed the acting role that he would forever be best remembered for, as the endearing "town drunk" of Mayberry, Otis Campbell, on "The Andy Griffith Show." Smith would continue to land roles and voice-over work for the remainder of his career.