Skip to main content

Burt Reynolds, Man’s Man and Unconventional Movie Star, Dead at 82

burt reynolds smokey and the bandit
Burt Reynolds in the car from ‘Smoky and the Bandit’ (circa 1970). Art Zelin/Getty Images

Another Hollywood star has dimmed. Burt Reynolds — actor, director, and all-around man’s man — has died at the age 82 from cardiac arrest, multiple reports confirm.

His loss was felt immediately by friends, family, and fans alike. Iconic roles in Smokey and The Bandit, The Longest Yard, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Evening Shade, Deliverance, and Boogie Nights made Reynolds an influential part of the entertainment scene and people’s lives.

Burt Reynolds was one of my heroes. He was a trailblazer. He showed the way to transition from being an athlete to being the highest paid actor, and he always inspired me. He also had a great sense of humor – check out his Tonight Show clips. My thoughts are with his family.

— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) September 6, 2018

“Burt Reynolds was one of my heroes. He was a trailblazer. He showed the way to transition from being an athlete to being the highest-paid actor, and he always inspired me. He also had a great sense of humor,” wrote fellow athlete-turned-actor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Twitter.

“The audience will always forgive you for being wrong and exciting, but never for being right and dull.” – Burt Reynolds

“Burt Reynolds was one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever worked with. He took me under his wing when I was first starting out as an actor and offered friendship, advice, and guidance.
I’ll never forget how much that meant to me,” said actor Paul Wesley.

Reynolds was born February 11, 1936, in Lansing, Michigan; he spent most of his formative years in Florida. While best-known for his film work, Reynolds’ resume features everything from college football player to dockworker. Despite a rocky start in Hollywood, Reynolds persevered, going on to earn multiple awards — a Golden Globe and a People’s Choice, just to name a few — and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“My films were the kind they only show in prisons and in airplanes because nobody can leave,” Reynolds is quoted, but we’re inclined to disagree. Even his “bad” movies held a special place in viewers’ hearts.

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." #RIPBurtReynolds

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) September 6, 2018

Standout moments in his career include turning down producer’s Albert R. Broccoli’s offer to play James Bond, authoring the children’s book, Barkley Unleashed A Pirate; a brief stint as a Floridian restaurateur and investor (Burt’s Place was a real thing in the ’70s), and, of course, his famous 1972 centerfold in Cosmopolitan.

Reynolds remained active in his later years. His 2017 performance in The Last Movie Star was well-received by critics and he was a part of the cast of Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming film about the Manson murders, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Reynolds is survived by his son, Quinton.

Editors' Recommendations

Nicole Raney
Nicole Raney is the former Managing Editor of The Manual. You can also hear her on older episodes of The Manual Podcast, a…
You can now get 5,000 free audiobooks — and they use your own A.I.-generated voice
AI-generated audiobooks have the potential to make audiobooks more accessible and affordable for everyone
A stack of books with headphones on either side

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly changed how we consume and create content, revolutionizing how we interact with digital media, from art to music.

Thanks to Project Gutenberg, the first free eBook library, AI has ever-so-sneakily made its way into literature. Researchers are now using synthetic text-to-speech technology to transform these eBooks into audiobooks, and not just any audiobooks — ones that use your own AI-generated voice.

Read more
The best Halloween movies to watch all of October
These horror films are both new and old
Hocus Pocus Disney mummy

October is one of our favorite months of the year. Halloween candy, spooky decorations, and frightening films are some of the perfect festive ways to celebrate. Whether you like a good scare from classic horror movies or you're more of a Disney movie fan, these fun (and scary) Halloween movies will get you in the holiday spirit. Grab your popcorn, settle in, and enjoy the spooky nights of Halloween this fall with all the best Halloween movie classics starring zombies, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, and more. Best of all, we'll tell you which streaming service (Disney Plus, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, Freeform) you can use to stream these nostalgic movies. These are the best Halloween movies for you to enjoy.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Read more
These are the best shows you can watch on Hulu in October
From Lost to The Great, these are the best shows you can stream on Hulu right now
Jeremy Allen White in The Bear.

 

There was a time when great TV was hard to come by. While not every TV show is great, these days it can sometimes feel like viewers have the opposite problem. There are simply too many shows, and too many streaming services, to choose from. Thankfully, the best shows on Hulu are also among the best shows you can watch anywhere. From new originals to legacy series from decades past, it has tons of shows that will fill the hours of your day.
You're probably aware that, while Hulu shows are great, it's far from the only streaming service with plenty of TV to offer. So whether you’re looking for the best Amazon Prime shows, the best Disney Plus shows, or the best Netflix shows, we've got you covered. Below, we'll dig into the best shows on Hulu that you can watch now.

Read more