Biography

A native of Hungary, Smutko fled the coming of Communism in his native land in 1948 - first to West Germany, and then to the U.S. four years later with the help of relatives in Detroit. Settling there, he attended college and served in the Army before emigrating to booming California in 1960 to work in home construction. Five years later, a friend approached him about becoming a propmaker at Desilu Studios and he began working his way up the seniority ladder - and soon after both he and "Star Trek" wound up at Paramount after its merger with Desilu. He actually worked the original Star Trek as an assistant propmaker in construction. He was construction coordinator from the first post-pilot episode of The NExt generation through all seven seasons, and all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager, when he retired.

He met his wife Elizabeth during a vacation to Hungary in 1975, deep in the Cold War when it was still a Soviet "Iron Curtain" satellite, and they married the next year in separate ceremonies in both countries after "three months of paperwork." His daughters are Erika (b 1976) Victoria (b 1977) and Monica (b 1980). He is an avid golfer.
- IMDb mini biography by: Larry Nemecek

Because of Smutko's unique sounding name, students at the University of Wisconsin would cheer when it popped up in the final credits on The Next Generation each week. Around 1992 they eventually formed an Al Smutko Fan Club, complete with buttons, with his blessing. Producers and actors at TNG eventually all became "members.".