Burt Reynolds Dead at 82

Movie star Burt Reynolds has passed away at the age of 82. The actor starred in dozens of films over the years, including Deliverance, Boogie Nights, and The Cannonball Run, and had a prolific career, particularly at the box office. From 1978 to 1982, Reynolds was Hollywood’s top-grossing star, and films like Smokey and the Bandit and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas made him a favorite among fans looking for some carefree entertainment.

Despite finding success early on in his career, one of Reynolds’ largest roles came decades later, when he played porn director Jack Horner in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 film Boogie Nights. Reynolds was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his performance — he won the Globe but lost the Oscar race to Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting — and the experience proved to many critics that he could take on serious roles, as well.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Reynolds was offered starring roles in Star Wars, Terms of Endearment, and Die Hard, but he turned them down. The veteran actor also competed against the likes of Jack Nicholson and Richard Gere for roles in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Pretty Woman. Instead of participating in these high profile projects, Reynolds opted to try his hand at TV: from 1990 to 1994, he starred n the CBS sitcom Evening Shade, and he won a Best Actor Emmy in 1991 for his performance as Woodrow “Wood” Newton.

Reynolds’ acting career didn’t slow as he aged. In 2017, he appeared in six projects, including Henri and Miami Love Affair. The actor was also slated to appear in Quentin Tarantino’s Manson family drama Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which is currently scheduled to debut in July 2019.

Reynolds will be remembered as something of a maverick in the industry. “I always wanted to experience everything and go down swinging,” he wrote in his memoir. “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.”