---
name: "Bubba Smith"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/bubba-smith"
fi1m_id: "bubba-smith"
imdb_id: "nm0807571"
tmdb_id: 57349
wikidata_id: "Q318938"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "28 February 1945"
died: "3 August 2011"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 46
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-04T19:59:50.355544+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Bubba Smith

## Identity

Bubba Smith

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/bubba-smith
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** bubba-smith
- **IMDb ID:** nm0807571
- **TMDB ID:** 57349
- **Wikidata ID:** Q318938
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubba_Smith, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q318938, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0807571/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/57349

Actor. Born 28 February 1945 in Beaumont, Texas, USA. Died 3 August 2011.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 28 February 1945, Beaumont, Texas, USA
- **Died:** 3 August 2011
- **Active:** 1984–1987
- **Also known as:** Бабба Сміт
- **Frequently works with:** [Paul Maslansky](https://film.one/person/paul-maslansky.md), [Steve Guttenberg](https://film.one/person/steve-guttenberg.md), [David Graf](https://film.one/person/david-graf.md), [Michael Winslow](https://film.one/person/michael-winslow.md), [Gene Quintano](https://film.one/person/gene-quintano.md), [Jerry Paris](https://film.one/person/jerry-paris.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 46, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 3 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 3 of 4 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 4, Crime 4
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $321m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubba_Smith, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q318938, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0807571/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/57349

## Biography

Bubba Smith was an American actor and former professional American football player. Born on 28 February 1945, he played college football at Michigan State University before a career in the National Football League with the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers. After retiring from sport in the mid-1970s, he moved into acting.

Smith is best known for portraying the gentle giant Moses Hightower in the *Police Academy* film series, beginning with *Police Academy* (1984) and appearing in five sequels through *Police Academy 6: City Under Siege* (1989), as well as the later television series. He also appeared in films including *Gremlins 2: The New Batch* (1990) and guest roles on series such as *Married... with Children* and *MacGyver*. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988 and featured in a long-running series of Miller Lite television commercials.

Smith died on 3 August 2011 in Los Angeles, aged 66.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol* (1987), Fi1m 36, as Hightower — [page](https://film.one/film/police-academy-4-citizens-on-patrol.md)
- *Police Academy 3: Back in Training* (1986), Fi1m 42, as Moses Hightower — [page](https://film.one/film/police-academy-3-back-in-training.md)
- *Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment* (1985), Fi1m 42, as Moses Hightower — [page](https://film.one/film/police-academy-2-their-first-assignment.md)
- *Police Academy* (1984), Fi1m 62, as Moses Hightower — [page](https://film.one/film/police-academy.md)

## Complete filmography (47)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Full Clip* (2004), as Sleepy
- *Down 'n Dirty* (2001), as Det. Jerry Cale
- *Police Academy: The Series* (1997), series, as Capt. Moses Hightower
- *Sabrina, the Teenage Witch* (1996), series, as Security Guard
- *Drifting School* (1995), as Peter Jackson
- *The Silence of the Hams* (1994), as Olaf
- *Burke's Law* (1994), series, as Dick Ramsey
- *Fist of Honor* (1993), as Detective Johnson
- *The Naked Truth* (1992), as The Cop
- *Gremlins 2: The New Batch* (1990), as Bubba Smith
- *Stuck with Each Other* (1989), as Augie
- *Family Matters* (1989), series, as Bones
- *Police Academy 6: City Under Siege* (1989), as Hightower
- *Coach* (1989), series, as Bubba Smith
- *Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach* (1988), as Hightower
- *The Wild Pair* (1987), as Benny Avalon
- *Married... with Children* (1987), series, as Bubba Smith, Spare Tire Dixon
- *Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol* (1987), as Hightower — Fi1m 36, [page](https://film.one/film/police-academy-4-citizens-on-patrol.md)
- *Police Academy 3: Back in Training* (1986), as Moses Hightower — Fi1m 42, [page](https://film.one/film/police-academy-3-back-in-training.md)
- *Black Moon Rising* (1986), as Johnson
- *MacGyver* (1985), series, as Bailey
- *Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment* (1985), as Moses Hightower — Fi1m 42, [page](https://film.one/film/police-academy-2-their-first-assignment.md)
- *Half Nelson* (1985), series, as Kurt
- *Rodney Dangerfield: Exposed!* (1985), as Bubba
- *Bubba Until It Hurts* (1985), as Executive Producer
- *Police Academy* (1984), as Moses Hightower — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/film/police-academy.md)
- *Blue Thunder* (1984), series, as Lyman Kelsey
- *Stroker Ace* (1983), as Arnold
- *Open All Night* (1981), series, as Robin
- *Escape from DS-3* (1981), as MacKenzie 'Mac' Gynn
- *Joe Dancer: The Big Black Pill* (1981), as Big Foot
- *Fighting Back: The Story of Rocky Bleier* (1980), as Jacobs
- *Semi-Tough* (1980), series, as Puddin
- *The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang* (1979), as Luther
- *Hart to Hart* (1979), series, Actor
- *A Pleasure Doing Business* (1979), as Joe Marsh
- *B. J. and the Bear* (1979), series, Actor
- *Vega$* (1978), series, Actor
- *Taxi* (1978), series, as Lucius Franklin — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/taxi.md)
- *Superdome* (1978), as Moses Gordine
- *Eight Is Enough* (1977), series, Actor
- *Battle of the Network Stars* (1976), series, Actor
- *Charlie's Angels* (1976), series, as Toby
- *Wonder Woman* (1975), series, as Rojak
- *Good Times* (1974), series, Actor
- *The Odd Couple* (1970), series, as Bubba Smith
- *Monday Night Football* (1970), series, as Defensive End, Defensive end

## Gallery

- ![Bubba Smith](https://film.one/media/person/5544779/gallery-06023551fcd2.jpg) Bubba Smith — J Feldman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Bubba_Smith.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Bubba Smith](https://film.one/media/person/5544779/gallery-61d5acb95f71.jpg) Bubba Smith — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/bubba-smith