Hollywood star Burt Reynolds dies at 82

[webfact]

Hollywood star Burt Reynolds dies at 82

By Will Dunham

 

FILE PHOTO: Hollywood actor Burt Reynolds poses for a portrait during an interview with Reuters at a hotel in central London, Britain December 3, 2015. In his nearly 60-year career, Reynolds has played a macho businessman tackling fierce river rapids in a canoe, a loveable rogue evading police in a car chase across America's south and a pornography filmmaker. Each part was significant for the Hollywood actor. "Deliverance" was Reynolds' breakout role, "Smokey and the Bandit" topped the U.S. box office while "Boogie Nights" earned him an Academy Award nomination. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

 

(Reuters) - Burt Reynolds, whose good looks and charm made him one of Hollywood's most popular actors as he starred in films such as "Deliverance," "The Longest Yard" and "Smokey and the Bandit" in the 1970s and '80s, has died at age 82, a spokesman for his Los Angeles agent said on Thursday.

 

Reynolds died on Thursday morning at the Jupiter Medical Center in Florida, The Hollywood Reporter said, citingReynolds' manager, Erik Kritzer.

 

At the peak of his career, Reynolds was one of the most bankable actors in the film industry, reeling off a series of box office smashes until a career downturn in the mid-1980s. He rebounded in 1997 with a nomination for a best supporting actor Academy Award for "Boogie Nights," and won an Emmy for his role in the 1990-1994 TV series "Evening Shade."

 

With his trademark moustache, rugged looks and macho aura, Reynolds was a leading male sex symbol of the 1970s. He appeared naked - reclining on a bearskin rug with his arm strategically positioned for the sake of modesty - in a centrefold in the women's magazine Cosmopolitan in 1972.

 

Reynolds' personal life sometimes overshadowed his movies, including marriages that ended in divorce to actresses Loni Anderson and Judy Carne and romances with Sally Field and Dinah Shore, among others. His financial woes and his struggles with prescription pain medication also generated attention.

 

Reynolds cited director John Boorman's Oscar-nominated 1972 "Deliverance" as his best film and said he regretted that the hoopla from his Cosmopolitan appearance detracted from the movie that made him a star. He played tough-guy Lewis Medlock - opposite Jon Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox - in the chilling tale of a canoe trip gone bad in rural Georgia.

 

He starred in dozens of films, also including "White Lightning" (1973), "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings" (1975), "Hustle" (1975), "Nickelodeon" (1976) and "Semi-Tough" (1977). He was the top money-making star at the box office in an annual poll of movie exhibitors 1978 through 1982.

 

Many of Reynolds' films were set in the South. He often played a lovable rascal who outwits local authorities, as in director Hal Needham's 1977 crowd-pleasing action comedy "Smokey and the Bandit," co-starring his girlfriend Field and Jackie Gleason, and its two sequels.

 

Another of his better roles was that of former a pro quarterback who lands in prison and assembles a team of convicts to play the warden's squad of brutal prison guards in 1974's rollicking "The Longest Yard," directed by Robert Aldrich. He appeared in a supporting role 2005's remake with Adam Sandler.

 

Reynolds also directed several movies in which he starred, including "Gator" (1976), "The End" (1978), "Sharky's Machine" (1981) and "Stick" (1985).

 

While some of his performances were critically praised, others were ridiculed, particularly in the bloated action comedy "Cannonball Run II," a sequel to his financial success "The Cannonball Run" (1981). He also starred in the notorious 1975 musical flop "At Long Last Love," a film so atrocious that director Peter Bogdanovich publicly apologised for making it.

 

Reynolds turned down notable roles including Han Solo in "Star Wars," which went to Harrison Ford; the title role in a James Bond film; and the astronaut in "Terms of Endearment" that Jack Nicholson turned into an Oscar-winning performance.

 

"THE MOST FUN"

Reynolds said in 2012 that he regretted some of his film choices. "I took the part that was the most fun - 'Oh, this will be fun.' I didn't take the part that would be the most challenging," told television interviewer Piers Morgan in 2012.

 

Asked to come up with his own epitaph, Reynolds said, "He lived a hell of a life, and did his best - his very best - not to hurt anybody."

 

Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. was born on Feb. 11, 1936, and grew up in Florida. He was a fine athlete and played football at Florida State University in the 1950s before his professional football hopes were dashed by injuries suffered in a car crash.

 

He began acting after enrolling in a junior college. He moved to New York and landed minor stage and TV roles before making his film debut in 1961. Reynolds often was cast in Westerns, including the popular "Gunsmoke" television series in the 1960s.

 

In 1972, the same year "Deliverance" was released, he showed versatility by also starring in Woody Allen's comedy "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask."

 

Reynolds starred in romantic comedies as well, including "Starting Over" (1979) with Jill Clayburgh and Candice Bergen, and in the musical comedy "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982) with Dolly Parton.

 

His film career stalled in the mid-1980s with several misfires and he was never again a leading movie star.

 

Reynolds turned to television and had a successful run on the situation comedy "Evening Shade," co-starring Marilu Henner and Charles Durning. He continued to appear in films in lesser but sometimes noteworthy roles.

 

He earned his only career Oscar nomination playing a porn director - a role he despised - in director Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights" (1997), starring Mark Wahlberg.

 

Reynolds experienced some health issues later in his life. He underwent quintuple heart bypass surgery in 2010 and was hospitalized in intensive care in 2013 with the flu.

 

(Reporting by Will Dunham; Additional reporting by Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Bill Trott, Bill Berkrot and Leslie Adler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-09-07

[Rhys]

RIP.. thanks for the films..

[ezzra]

The bandit is no more...

 

" Burt Reynolds & Clint Eastwood were fired from GUNSMOKE & RAWHIDE at the same time. Burt was told he couldn't act and Clint his neck was too skinny. In the parking lot, Burt said to Clint, "I dunno what you're gonna do, but I'm gonna take acting lessons."... Farewell Bandit...

[SheungWan]

The definitive movie Loveable Rogue. RIP.

[Boon Mee]

RIP Burt. 

He was one of the best. 

[Dmaxdan]

What a movie Deliverance is, if a little disturbing....R.I. P Burt. Gone but never forgotten.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[Denim]

Met him when I was young. A really nice genuine man. Still got three signed photos he gave me with a personalized message.

 

RIP Burt

[colinneil]

Bandit take care there could be a Bear up there in the air.

Truly a fine actor, a gentleman, will be sadly missed.

R.I.P. Burt.

Edited September 7, 2018 by colinneil

[GinBoy2]

Smokey & the Bandit, was and always will be one of my favorite, and most fun films.

RIP Burt, we'll miss you

[tweedledee2]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

The bandit is no more...

 

" Burt Reynolds & Clint Eastwood were fired from GUNSMOKE & RAWHIDE at the same time. Burt was told he couldn't act and Clint his neck was too skinny. In the parking lot, Burt said to Clint, "I dunno what you're gonna do, but I'm gonna take acting lessons."... Farewell Bandit...

I don't know if Burt Reynolds was fired from "Gunsmoke" or not. You may be correct but you're wrong about Clint Eastwood.  He was not fired from "Rawhide". In the final season, he had the lead role till the series was canceled.  

[skorp13]

Burt was the man, a true legend. Thank you for all the great entertainment Mr Reynalds

[connda]

Bye bye Burt.  Catcha' on the flip side good buddy. 

Edited September 7, 2018 by connda

[GinBoy2]

One of my favorite Burt cameo's

 

 

[NCC1701A]

 

[Lokie]

Entertaining to watch, always seemed to just have the right amount of wit and then seriousness at the right times in the parts he played. 

 

I loved the Bandit films and Cannonball (a bit of fun and games - good clean fun) Deliverance and The Longest Yard. Think that was my favourite, great movie and some fantastic one liners and funny scenes...

 

R I P Burt and thanks for making us smile!

 

 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

He was great in Magnum P.I.

[Andrew Dwyer]

RIP Burt
Thanks for the great movies !

Deliverance and Smokie and the Bandit ! 2 great movies from my youth that have stood the test of time and showed that Burt could do drama and comedy equally well.

[AlexRich]

Great actor ... who could ever forget duelling banjo's and "squeal like a pig boy" ... RIP.