Toukie Smith Dead at 74: 227 Actor and Former Partner of Robert De Niro

A career across fashion and acting

Smith, born Doris A. Smith, grew up in Philadelphia and entered modeling in the 1970s. Her brother, fashion designer Willi Smith, inspired her and often featured her as a muse.

She played Eva Rawley in the final seasons of NBC’s 227, beginning in 1989. Her later screen credits included Joe’s Apartment, Miami Vice and Goosed. Smith said in a 1992 New York Times interview, “I am an actress first. I'm not a sometime model.” She also joked that acting brought its own challenges with rejection.

Restaurant honored her brother

Alongside acting and modeling campaigns for Chanel, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent, Smith opened Toukie’s in Manhattan in 1994. The restaurant was on West Houston and donated some profits to people fighting AIDS.

The business honored her brother, who died in 1987 from an illness related to AIDS. Smith told the New York Times that the restaurant was a way for people to come together and connect.

Family life with De Niro

Smith and De Niro began dating in 1988 and welcomed twins Airyn and Julian through a surrogate in 1995. They separated about a year later and generally kept details of their relationship private. Their children confirmed Smith’s death in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, describing her illness as a “long, courageous battle” with multiple sclerosis.

A nickname and lasting energy

Smith said her grandmother gave her the nickname Toukie, inspired by a children’s song about a determined fire engine. She told the Los Angeles Times, “I’ve always had lots of energy.” De Niro had previously been married to Diahnne Abbott, whose daughter Drena he adopted. Abbott and De Niro appeared together in several films, including Taxi Driver, New York, New York and The King of Comedy.