Burt Reynolds, 'Smokey and the Bandit' Star and Acting Legend, Dies at 82
Burt Reynolds, a Hollywood legend who dominated screens in the '70s and '80s with films like "Smokey and the Bandit," has died. He was 82.
The actor's manager confirmed his death to The Hollywood Reporter, revealing that Reynolds passed away on Thursday morning at a hospital in Jupiter, Florida. No cause of death was given.
Reynolds became a household name after starring in hits including "Smokey" (and its two sequels), "Deliverance," and "The Longest Yard." He appeared in dozens of movies and television shows throughout his long career, including "Boogie Nights," for which he received his lone Oscar nomination (for Best Supporting Actor, losing out to winner Robin Williams), and also won a Golden Globe.
Though Reynolds was not a critical darling early on in his career, his films were wildly popular, and his winking charm wooed fans the world over. According to THR, the actor "was Hollywood's top-grossing star every year from 1978 through 1982, equaling the longest stretch the business had seen since the days of Bing Crosby in the 1940s. In 1978, he had four movies playing in theaters at the same time."
He costarred (and memorably bantered) with some of the biggest actresses of his generation, including Sally Field (in "Smokey"); Candice Bergen (in 1979's "Starting Over"); Dolly Parton (in 1982's "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"); Goldie Hawn (in 1982's "Best Friends"); and Julie Andrews (in 1983's "The Man Who Loved Women"). And he caused a stir with his famous nearly-nude 1972 Cosmopolitan centerfold spread, in which he posed seductively atop a bearskin rug.
In 2015, the actor released a memoir, "But Enough About Me," in which he admitted he had some regrets about some of the choices he made in his filmography. But Reynolds also noted that he was overall quite happy with his life and career.
"I always wanted to experience everything and go down swinging," the actor wrote. "Well, so far, so good. I know I'm old, but I feel young. And there's one thing they can never take away: Nobody had more fun than I did."
Reynolds was previously married to British actress Judy Carne from 1963 to 1966, and actress Loni Anderson from 1988 to 1993. He's survived by a son, Quinton, who he adopted with Anderson.
[via: The Hollywood Reporter]