Burt Reynolds
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Last Updated: 6/28/26
Real Name: Burton Leon Reynolds, Jr.
Born: February 11, 1936
Died: September 6, 2018 (Aged 82)
Height: 5' 10"
Grade: A-
Actor/Movie Star: 20%-80%
Prime Years: 1972-87 and 1997
Most Famous Film: Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Most Infamous Film: The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973)
Most Famous TV Show: Evening Shade (1990-94)
Masterpiece: Deliverance (1972), White Lightning (1973), and Boogie Nights (1997)
Outstanding: The Longest Yard (1974), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Hooper (1978),
Sharky's Machine (1981), and Heat (1986)
Honorable: Hustle (1975)
Opinion:
With or without mustache? I prefer it on, but the resemblance to Marlon Brando is uncanny. A huge, huge, huge
movie star, Burt Reynolds is 100% charismatic, representing the South so well that it's impossible to separate
these two. What many people fail to realize is he's a very competent actor. Sure, Burt Reynolds plays himself
all the time, but how he takes on different characters and absorbs the ambience isn't an easy feat as
perfectly illustrated in White Lightning. Even his surprise cameos in obscure films and TV shows such
as The Golden Girls, Sherman's March (which includes a Burt Reynolds lookalike who easily passes
muster), and Beverly Hills, 90210 are worth the price of admission
Furthermore, Burt Reynolds is an icon in the mold of Clark Gable. That's why he was box-office champ for
five consecutive years, a record that stands to this day which is shared with Bing Crosby. Although enormously
famous for Smokey and the Bandit, the foremost film on anybody's mind should be Deliverance when
Burt Reynolds shockingly gave the greatest performance of his career as Lewis Medlock. Making a dramatic
comeback in Boogie Nights after years of ugly divorce from Loni Anderson and bankruptcy, the good ol' boy
proved once again that he could act with the best of them.
Confirmed:
Had lied for many decades about being born in Waycross, Georgia (it was actually Lansing, Michigan) but did it
to preserve his supposedly Southern pedigree. Was nicknamed "Buddy" by family or "Bud" by anyone else from early
age because his father was "Big Burt." Father fought in the Battle of the Bulge and the D-Day Invasion during
WWII, having been promoted to the rank of colonel. After he returned from overseas, the family moved to Rivieria
Beach, Florida. Father became chief of police while mother worked as a head nurse at a hospital. Years later,
was often thought to be Native American when in reality belonged to no tribe and had no Indian blood.
Was constantly getting into trouble and got disciplined by his father through belt whippings. Spent two days
in jail on purpose by his father and was never in trouble again afterwards. Made friends with a kid named James
Hooks who had a rough upbringing and decided he should go home with him, causing his parents to adopt him
legally in the future. Was an all-state running back in high school. Said the best athlete he had been around
with was Dick Howser who would manage the Kansas City Royals to their first World Series title before passing
away st age 51. Made money by giving exhibitions by diving from tall structures.
Lost his spleen in the auto accident during high school. Got offered a full-ride scholarship by 26 schools
to play football and ended up choosing Florida State University, a mediocre program at the time, due to
an absurdly high ratio of girls to boys. Began to lose his hair while becoming popular for his impersonations
of Marlon Brando. Loved to drive cars fast. After freshman season, was offered a contract by the Baltimore
Colts. Ruined his knee in one play during sophomore season and had to have an operation. Three months later,
got into a near-fatal high-speed car accident on December 24, 1954, that caused him to lose his
spleen and extenstive damage to his knees, thus the end of his aspiring football career. Always wore number
22 because of Bobby Layne, quarterback of Detroit Lions.
Dropped out of Florida State University and bummed around New York City. Tended to get into bar fights. At age
21, started acting in a theatre at Palm Beach Junior College in West Palm Beach and was mentored by Dr. Watson
B. Duncan, III, before moving to New York City. First work was the lead in a theatrical play called
Outward Bound which earned him a scholarship to Hyde Park Playhouse in upstate New York but decided to
to go to New York City to study at Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse. Was roommates with Rip Torn while
living there.
Was befriended by Joan Woodward, future wife of Paul Newman, who introduced him to her agent. Had been rejected
in auditions many times for resembling Brando. While working as a bouncer during after-hours, started to get
nonsubstantial acting jobs (was credited as Buddy Reynolds) in television because of his willingness to perform
stunts like getting thrown through windows, falling down on the stairs, etc., (hence his homage to the
profession via Hooper) which went on for two years until getting his first real chance at dialogue.
Finally got the chance one night to meet Marlon Brando who quickly rolled his eyes at him. Was offered an acting
job on Lee Marvin's TV show but The Dirty Dozen actor wasn't sure and asked for some film footage of him
before deciding. Burt Reynolds had none, so he showed him home videos of himself when he was a baby, causing
Lee Marvin to crack up, giving him the okay. Once in Hollywood, was asked to audition for a role but got
interrupted by a phone call, making him angry and ripping the telephone out of the wall which impressed everybody.
Some while later, along with David Janssen and Clint Eastwood, got fired by Unversal for showing no talent.
Had a hard time finding acting jobs and was forced to move back to New York City to appear in failed theatrical
plays and forgettable films. Became friends with Hal Needham through stunt work during the making of a TV show
called Riverboat. Went back to Hollywood in 1962 and scored a break in Gunsmoke. Met actress Judy
Carne before getting married in 1963 and was physically abusive to her, causing their divorce two years later.
Despite his failures in TV and films, became popular by appearing in The Merv Griffin Show, setting a
record for eleven consecutive appearances and going on more talk shows including Johnny Carson's. Went crazy,
at one point becoming suicidal, by diving headfirst onto a table, and was outrageously flirty with Dinah
Shore on Dinah's Place, jumpstarting their romance despite the seventeen-year age difference.
Hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for the first time and asked his ex-wife, Judy Carne, to
be his guest which became a smash hit that got John Boorman's eye to be cast in Deliverance.
During filming, did a stunt by jumping out of the canoe over the waterfall and broke his coccyx, almost losing
his life. Thereafter, achieved an enormous breakthrough (would refer it to as "my deliverance out of shit") and
was thought to be a shoo-in for the Oscars until appearing in the nude, the first ever actor to do so, for the
April 1972 Cosmopolitan issue that completely derailed his chances and negatively impacted his reputation in
Hollywood.
Was embroiled in a scandal involving the death of David Whiting during the making of
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing but was cleared of any wrongdoing although carried an affair with Sarah
Miles, leaving to the dissolution of her marriage to Robert Bolt. Shook off the worst patch of his career
by holding stage at Leavenworth Penitentiary for The Burt Reynolds Late Show and appearing
in The Longest Yard. Insisted the film to be shot in Georgia and got Governor Jimmy Carter's blessing
for full cooperation to cut down production costs.
Had been warned by everybody not to do Smokey and the Bandit, and no studio wanted to consider Hal
Needam as the director. Universal agreed to finance it as long as Burt Reynolds took the leading role despite
firing him seventeen years earlier. Was recommended by Hal Needham a washed-up actress by the name of Sally
Field for the role of Frog, and she tried to turn down the chance after reading the terrible script but was
heavily persuaded by Burt Reynolds during a phone call and they had never met yet. To the surprise of everybody,
Smokey and the Bandit became the second biggest hit of 1977, just behind Star Wars.
Got hit in the jaw with a chair during the making of City Heat and thus suffered from temporomandibular
joint (TMJ) disorder. Lost at least 65 pounds, due to not being able to chew solid food, that many thought
he was dying of AIDS in light of what happened to Rock Hudson.
Made fun of himself constantly and was usually blunt about his shortcomings (okay...maybe not the hair). Needed
a new hairpiece weekly due to his tendency to scratch and thus ruin it, and each cost $1,500. Juggled women,
cheated on them all the time, and was physically abusive with them. Carried high-profile romances with Dinah
Shore, Sarah Miles, Tammy Wynette, Sally Field, and Loni Anderson. Tended to be arrogant and pretentious. Had a
bad temper, was privately insecure, unhappy, and emotionally immature. Hated confrontations and would get rid
of acquaintances pronto before getting to the bottom of it.
Named Deliverance the best film he had ever worked on. Established Jupiter, Florida, as his home base
and created a dinner theatre and a training program for young actors there, having personally taught many in
classes. Emilio Estevez had his start in the acting business by appearing in his theatre during 1980, and
Charlie Sheen was encouraged by Burt Reynolds to switch from majoring in accounting to acting.
Loved to ride horses and sing. Made an album entitled Ask Me What I Am. Tried to make a living in
breeding and racing horses but lost a lot of money via expenses. Ditto for restaurants which cost him
millions of dollars. Was obsessed with having framed photographs of celebrity friends on every wall at
all places he owned. Had his own ranch along with a feed and
tackle store where fans could come visit and movie and television productions could be shot. Loved animals,
especially dogs. Was a shopaholic and, therefore, a generous gift-giver to everybody in his life.
Could be difficult on the set due to doing things his way. Had punched directors, producers, and actors in the
face many times. Did his own stunts and was an expert driver as seen in Deliverance,
White Lightning, Gator, and Smokey and the Bandit. Suffered from hypoglycemia which was
diagnosed prior to the filming of Semi-Tough. Took Percodan, Valium, and Compazine for pain, anxiety,
and when either of the above caused him internal problems, respectively. Graduated to Halcion some time later.
All of the pills, which went on for years and years made his behavior unpredictably worse. Would have brown
paper bags close by to breathe into any time there's an anxiety attack coming on.
Rumors:
Was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and suffered from CTE through football and stunt work. Beat David Whiting
to death on February 11, 1973, and there was a cover-up (official cause: suicide through drug overdose with a
head injury by hitting a table).