R.I.P. Burt Reynolds (1936-2018)

Burt Reynolds

On September 6, 2018, actor and director Burt Reynolds passed away at the age of 82 in Jupiter, Florida. Over a storied career going back to the 50's, he has celebrated a career as one of the most successful actors of his generation. Among his noteworthy works were action movies like Smokey and the Bandit and Cannonball Run as well as dramas like Deliverance, The Longest Yard, and Boogie Nights. Even if he didn't always get the respect he deserved, he was known for being able to enjoy his career, often poking fun at his own failures and enjoying comedic bits whenever he appeared in various interviews. He leaves behind an impressive body of work that is most of all known for featuring a fun and charismatic performance that could be counted on to entertain audiences. He was one of a kind, and he will be missed.

Reynolds was born on February 11, 1936. Even by the actor's own words, it has been contested that hes either from Waycross, Georgia or Lansing, Michigan (he has cited both throughout his career). In his early career, he formed a passion for football that lead him to play for the school team until he had debilitating injuries, including the loss of his spleen. With encouragement to stay in school, he would continue to try and find an alternative career. This came in the form of an English class that encouraged him to try out for the play Outward Bound, which lead him to his first acting award: The Florida State Drama Award. This would lead him to a scholarship to Hyde Park, New York where he continued his theater work alongside Joanne Woodward, starring in Tea and Sympathy. His similar looks to Marlon Brando made it difficult for him to get a part in one play, though it also made people encourage him to go to Hollywood, which he was reluctant to at first.

Like all starting actors, he made his name starring in 1950's TV series like Flight, M Squad, Schlitz Playhouse, and many more. His first big role was on the 1959 series Riverboat alongside Darren McGavin. He hated the work as well as his co-star and quit the show after 20 episodes. His film debut would come in Angel Baby in 1961, though he split time between stage and screen; while also starring in Look, We've Come Through. He would also star as Dennis Weaver on Gunsmoke for the final few seasons as well as the TV series Hawk. He would continue to pick up parts here and there, including the movie Fade_In, which he considers to be the best thing he's ever done.

His big breakthrough came in 1972 with the film Deliverance, which was more of a dramatic turn for the actor. While the film did well critically and financially, argument has been made that he was sacrificed an Oscar nomination thanks to the famous Cosmopolitan spread that he shot, where he appeared nude on a rug - becoming the first male model for the magazine. Still, he was becoming more of a household name with each passing film. By 1977, he would star in the car chase movie Smokey and the Bandit, which was a big hit at the box office and spawned two sequels. It also lead to his reputation for cheeky action films and comedies over more complex dramas, which was something he rarely spoke badly against. 

His career would continue to flourish over the decades with many hits and misses. However, there was concern that he would never get that Oscar nomination. This came in 1997 when he starred in director Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights, a film about the adult film industry. He starred as Jack Horner: a film producer who wanted to make the style of film more legitimate. While the film reminded audiences why Reynolds was an incredible force of talent, the actor himself would speak out against the film later in his career (the same could be said for fellow Oscar-nominee Mark Wahlberg) and he refused to star in Anderson's next film Magnolia. Still, the Best Supporting Actor statue gave him the much needed credos for the next few decades of his career, which included foreclosure from bad investments.

His love of football and car racing was apparent on screen as well as off. He co-owned the USFL team Tampa Bay Bandits, in part named for his most iconic film Smokey and the Bandit. He also co-owned a NASCAR Winston Cup team, Mach 1 Racing, with said film's director Hal Needham: a stunt performer-turned-director whom Reynolds worked a lot with. In his later career he also suffered injuries to his face while filming City Heat, giving him temporomandibular joint dysfunction and a hazardous painkiller addiction. Over his career, he also owned a nightclub called Burt's Place in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia as well as a restaurant called Burt & Jacks (also named for co-owner Jack Jackson).

With a storied career as one of the most iconic actors of his generation, there's a lot that could be said about Reynolds' staying power. With great screen presence, he helped to create a form of action hero and comedic actor that would resonate with audiences for several decades and lead him to an eventual Oscar-nomination. Even when he was making mediocre work, he loved to poke fun at his screen presence and never was above admitting his faults. His career has plenty of great hits among them, and it's hard to deny his place in the bigger zeitgeist. Given that his facial hair by itself was memorable, he had a face for movies that far exceeded initial belief that he was just a Brando lookalike. He was so much more, and he proved it over and over throughout his impressive career.