Kurtwood Smith Kurtwood Smith is an actor who has played three different roles on " Star Trek " , spanning a movie and three episodes . He first appeared as the Federation President in and later played Thrax in the fifth season episode . He shared scenes with Rene Auberjonois in both of these productions . In , he played the role of Annorax in the fourth season episodes and . For " Year of Hell " , Smith filmed his scenes on Friday on Paramount Stage 9 and for " Year of Hell , Part II " between Friday and Tuesday on Paramount Stage 9 and 16 . His uniform from this episode was later sold off on the It ' s A Wrap ! sale and auction on eBay . Smith is perhaps best known for his role as Red Forman in the situation comedy television series " That ' 70s Show " . He is also known for his role as gang leader Clarence Boddicker in the 1987 science fiction film " RoboCop " ( with Peter Weller and Ronny Cox ) . Acting professionally since the late 1970s , Smith has appeared in over 100 films and television shows and at least fourteen stage productions . Personal life . Kurtwood Larson Smith was born in New Lisbon , Wisconsin , but he and his family had moved to California by the late 1950s . Smith attended California ' s Canoga Park High School , where he was senior class president , and studied theater at the College of San Mateo and San Jose State University . He ultimately earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Drama from Stanford University . Smith has said in interviews that his mother named him Kurtwood because she felt Kurt Smith was too short a name . Smith has said he believes he is the only Kurtwood . Smith married Cecilia Souza in 1964 . They had two children together , a son and a daughter , before divorcing in 1974 . In 1988 , he married actress Joan Pirkle , whom he met on the set of " RoboCop " . Career . Notable film work . Smith ' s earliest confirmed feature film work was a small role in the 1980 musical comedy " Roadie " , which also featured Hamilton Camp . The following year , he appeared in the musical " Zoot Suit " , along with John Anderson , Mike Gomez , Ed Peck , Tony Plana , and Smith ' s " Voyager " co - star , Robert Beltran . Smith ' s first significant film role came in the 1984 action thriller " Flashpoint " , in which he worked with Kevin Conway and Miguel Ferrer . Smith and Ferrer again worked together a few years later when both were cast in the 1987 blockbuster " RoboCop " . In this film , Smith played Clarence Boddicker , the gang leader who kills the central character , police officer Alex Murphy , played by Peter Weller . Ferrer ' s character then reconstructs Murphy into the cyborg " RoboCop " . Ray Wise played one of Boddicker ' s gang members , while Ronny Cox played the executive who turned out to be employing and protecting Smith ' s character . Robert DoQui also appears in the film as Murphy ' s boss and shares a scene with Smith . Following the success of " RoboCop " , Smith landed a supporting role in another action film , " Rambo III " . This was followed by major supporting roles in the 1989 films " True Believer " ( with Joel Polis and Richard Fancy ) and " Dead Poets Society " . In the latter film , Smith played a father who disapproves of his son ' s wish to become an actor , leading his son to commit suicide . Norman Lloyd also appeared in the film , playing the headmaster of the school Smith ' s son was attending . Smith was the third male lead in the 1991 comic thriller " Company Business " , which was written and directed by Nicholas Meyer . This film led to Meyer casting Smith as the Federation President in " Star Trek VI " . " Company Business " also starred Terry O ' Quinn and , like " Star Trek VI " , it was produced by Steven - Charles Jaffe and edited by Ronald Roose . Smith was one of the many " Star Trek " alumni to appear in Woody Allen ' s " Shadow and Fog " ; his co - stars in this film included Robert Joy , Kenneth Mars , Richard Riehle , Camille Saviola , Wallace Shawn , and David Ogden Stiers . Smith then starred in the 1993 science fiction film " Fortress " , playing the lead villain , Prison Director Poe . Clifton Collins , Jr . , Jeffrey Combs , and Tom Towles had roles in this film , as well . In the 1993 thriller " The Crush " , Smith and Gwynyth Walsh played the parents of the central character . Smith ' s subsequent film credits included " To Die For " ( 1995 ) , " Citizen Ruth " ( 1996 , with David Graf and Kenneth Mars ) , " Broken Arrow " ( 1996 , with Casey Biggs , Bob Gunton , James MacDonald , Vyto Ruginis and Christian Slater ) , " A Time to Kill " ( 1996 , with Ashley Judd ) , " Deep Impact " ( 1998 , with Ellen Bry , James Cromwell , Denise Crosby , Mark Moses , Tucker Smallwood , and Concetta Tomei ) , and " Girl , Interrupted " ( starring Whoopi Goldberg and Winona Ryder ) . Since 2000 , Smith ' s film credits have consisted of shorts and independent productions . In 2006 , he was the recipient of the Independent Spirit Award at the 2006 Garden State Film Festival for his lead performance in the drama " Hard Scrambled " . Thomas Kopache had a supporting role in this film . Smith was the voice of Kanjar Ro in the animated 2009 direct - to - DVD movie " Green Lantern : First Flight " . This film also featured the voices of Olivia d ' Abo , Larry Drake , Victor Garber , David L . Lander , John Larroquette , Richard McGonagle , William Schallert , and Malachi Throne . In 2010 , Smith acted in his first major feature film in ten years , the comedy " Cedar Rapids " . TNG guest star Stephen Root also has a supporting role in this film . Notable television work . Guest appearances . Smith made his television debut in an episode of the soap opera parody series " Soap " in 1980 . He has since appeared on such television programs as " The A - Team " ( starring Dwight Schultz , with Lance LeGault ) , " Picket Fences " ( with Sam Anderson and William Newman ) , " 3rd Rock from the Sun " ( with Courtney Peldon ) , and " Malcolm in the Middle " ( with Hallie Todd and the aforementioned Kenneth Mars ) . Kim Manners has directed Smith on at least three occasions . The first was a 1986 episode of " Stingray " which also featured Ian Abercrombie . The following year , they collaborated on an episode of " 21 Jump Street " in which Robert Hooks and Ray Walston appeared . Smith and Manners reunited in 1996 for the " Grotesque " episode of the hit science fiction series " " , executive - produced by John Shiban , in which Smith played Agent Bill Patterson . In 2007 , Smith appeared in two television series starring " Star Trek " alumni : " Psych " , which features Corbin Bernsen , and " House " , which had Jennifer Morrison . On " Psych " , Smith also worked with Lisa Banes . In addition , Smith played FBI Agent Edward Cooper in three episodes of " Medium " , one in 2006 , another in 2008 , and the latest in 2009 . Smith appeared in the seventh season of the FOX drama series " 24 " , executive - produced by Manny Coto and Brannon Braga . He played Senator Blaine Mayer , who was responsible for the disbanding of the Counter Terrorist Unit ( CTU ) and was attempting to bring Jack Bauer to justice for committing what he saw as Human rights violations . His character was killed by a rogue operative . Others who appeared on " 24 " that season include John Billingsley , Connor Trinneer , Bob Gunton , Glenn Morshower , Jeffrey Nordling , Tony Todd , and Annie Wersching . In addition to his live - action work , Smith has lent his voice to numerous animated programs . He voiced recurring characters on such shows as " Eek ! The Cat " ( as the Dinosaur Military Commander ) , " The Zeta Project " ( as Agent James Bennett ) , and " Squirrel Boy " ( as Mr . Johnson ) . He has also done voice work for episodes of " Batman Beyond " , " Grim & Evil " , and " Robot Chicken " . Mini - series and TV movies . In 1981 , Smith appeared in the two - part NBC mini - series " Murder in Texas " , along with Warren Munson . In 1985 , Smith had a supporting role in the television movie " The Midnight Hour " , which starred regular LeVar Burton . The 1986 , Smith worked with another TNG regular , Jonathan Frakes , in the mini - series " North and South , Book II " , in which Smith played Colonel Hram Berdan . Other performers he worked with on this production included Kirstie Alley , Mary Crosby , Jim Metzler , James Read , Leon Rippy , Bumper Robinson , William Schallert , Jean Simmons , David Ogden Stiers , and Anthony Zerbe . In the 1998 television movie " A Bright Shining Lie " , Smith and fellow " Trek " guest actors Ed Lauter and Harve Presnell all played generals . Regular roles . Smith has been a regular cast member on several television series . His first was " Renegades " , a police drama which ran on ABC in the spring 1983 . Smith played Police Captain Frank Scanlon on this series , which involved members of a street gang being recruited by the police to fight crime . Tracy Scoggins and Brian Tochi were also regulars on this series . For the 1987 - 1988 television season , Smith played the lead villain in the espionage adventure series " The New Adventures of Beans Baxter " . Smith ' s character , Mr . Sue , was the leader of the Underground Government Liberation Intergroup ( U . G . L . I . ) , who spent the series trying to capture the title character , high school student and secret spy " Beans " Baxter . Baxter ' s mother was played by Elinor Donahue . Smith ' s next series was the situation comedy " Big Wave Dave ' s " , which ran on NBC for six episodes in 1993 . On this series , Smith played a beach bum who claimed to be Jack Lord , the actor who starred in " Hawaii Five - O " and who was Gene Roddenberry ' s first choice for the role of James T . Kirk in the 1960s . Smith had his greatest success playing Reginald " Red " Forman in the FOX comedy series " That ' 70s Show " . He played the role through all eight seasons of the show – from 1998 through 2006 – and appeared in all 201 episodes . Don Stark was also a regular on the series , playing Red Forman ' s neighbor and occasional boss , Bob Pinciotti . Next , Smith starred in the CBS series " Worst Week " as Dick Clayton . The series aired for fifteen episodes from September 2008 through February 2009 . The series was officially canceled in May 2009 ; a previously unaired episode , which aired in June 2009 , was its last . Smith also worked with on a pilot for CBS called " Hitched " ( co - starring with Sharon Lawrence ) , though it has yet to be picked up as a series . More recently , Smith has been the voice of Don Killbride in the animated TBS series " Neighbors from Hell " , which premiered in June 2010 .