Burt Reynolds Biography Quotes 7 Report mistakes

Early Life
Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. was born on February 11, 1936, in Lansing, Michigan, and grew up largely in Riviera Beach, Florida. His mother, Fern, nurtured his confidence and love of performing, while his father, Burton Reynolds Sr., a World War II veteran who later became the police chief of Riviera Beach, instilled discipline and a sense of duty. Athletic and ambitious, Reynolds earned a football scholarship to Florida State University, where he played halfback with an intensity that hinted at the physicality he would later bring to his film stunts. A serious knee injury, compounded by a car accident, ended his dreams of professional football. While recovering, he took classes at Palm Beach Junior College, where a perceptive teacher encouraged him to try acting. The stage quickly replaced the gridiron as his arena.

Breaking into Acting
Reynolds moved between regional theater, New York stages, and early television work before finding steady roles in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He appeared in the adventure series Riverboat and found national recognition on Gunsmoke as the blacksmith Quint Asper. Short-lived series like Hawk and Dan August showcased his brooding presence and made him a familiar face. The repetitive grind of TV westerns and police dramas sharpened his craft and taught him the value of charisma, timing, and a direct connection with audiences. By the end of the 1960s, with supporting roles in films like Navajo Joe and 100 Rifles, he was poised for a breakthrough.

Deliverance and A-List Stardom
Deliverance (1972), directed by John Boorman and co-starring Jon Voight and Ned Beatty, made Burt Reynolds a movie star. As Lewis Medlock, he projected raw physical courage and a modern frontier swagger that became part of his screen identity. That same year he posed for a provocative Cosmopolitan centerfold that both cemented his status as a pop culture phenomenon and, by his own later admission, complicated his quest for serious roles. He quickly followed Deliverance with a string of hits, including The Longest Yard (1974), directed by Robert Aldrich, and a collaboration that would define his box-office reign: working with stuntman-turned-director Hal Needham.

The Bandit, the Stuntman, and the Box-Office Crown
With Needham, Reynolds made Smokey and the Bandit (1977) alongside Sally Field, Jerry Reed, and Jackie Gleason. The movie's easygoing humor, breakneck car chases, and the iconic Pontiac Trans Am turned Reynolds into an American folk hero. He and Needham followed with Hooper (1978), a valentine to stunt performers, and The Cannonball Run (1981), a raucous ensemble comedy with Dom DeLuise. These films, along with The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) with Dolly Parton, made Reynolds one of the most bankable stars in the world. For several consecutive years in the late 1970s and early 1980s, he led the box-office rankings, embodying a loose-limbed, mustachioed charm that was both mischievous and approachable.

Director and Mentor
Reynolds was more than a marquee name; he directed films that reflected his tastes and friendships. He took the helm on Gator (1976), The End (1978), Sharky's Machine (1981), and Stick (1985), often blending action and comedy with a sentimental streak. He cultivated an off-screen community as well, founding the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre in Jupiter, Florida, and creating opportunities for young actors and crew members. He enjoyed mentoring and teaching, an impulse that echoed his own early rescue from the aftermath of injury by a teacher's timely guidance.

Television Success and Awards
After a turbulent mid-1980s, Reynolds found a second home on television. Evening Shade (1990, 1994), created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, paired him with a warm ensemble that included Marilu Henner, Hal Holbrook, Charles Durning, Michael Jeter, and Ossie Davis. Playing a former pro football player who returns to coach in a small Southern town, he rediscovered the understated humor that had endeared him to audiences. The role earned him an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe, affirming his range and his standing as a beloved television presence decades after his Gunsmoke days.

Personal Life and Relationships
Reynolds's private life often unfolded in public. He married actress Judy Carne in 1963; the marriage ended in 1965. In the early 1970s he had a headline-making romance with singer and television star Dinah Shore, a relationship he remembered with tenderness and gratitude. His partnership with Sally Field, his co-star in Smokey and the Bandit and other films, produced some of his most popular work; in later years he called her the love of his life. In 1988 he married Loni Anderson, a high-profile union that ended in a difficult divorce in 1993. He and Anderson adopted a son, Quinton, and despite financial and personal turmoil, Reynolds spoke often of fatherhood as a steadying force.

Injuries, Setbacks, and Resilience
Long known for doing many of his own stunts, Reynolds paid a physical price. A jaw injury suffered during the production of City Heat (1984), a grueling recovery, and dependence on pain medication contributed to a period of weight loss and tabloid speculation. He also faced financial challenges, including a highly publicized bankruptcy in the mid-1990s. Through it all, he returned to work, sold memorabilia to settle debts, and kept teaching and performing. He understood, perhaps better than most stars of his era, that fame is cyclical and that persistence is a kind of artistry.

Boogie Nights and Late-Career Work
Reynolds earned some of the best reviews of his career as porn-film director Jack Horner in Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997), sharing the screen with Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle, and Heather Graham. The performance brought him a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, an elegant reminder that he could anchor a drama as deftly as he cruised through a car chase. He popped up in projects that played with his legend, from Striptease (1996) to a cameo in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard, and embraced the affection of a younger generation who knew the Bandit as both a character and a cultural touchstone. He continued to act on stage, in independent films, and on television, content to be where the work and camaraderie were.

Public Persona and Craft
Reynolds's easy laugh and good-ol-boy charm could obscure how carefully he calibrated his screen presence. He prized chemistry with collaborators like Hal Needham, and he valued ensemble work with friends such as Dom DeLuise and Jerry Reed. At his best, he balanced bravado with vulnerability, allowing audiences to see the man under the bravura. He was a reliable talk-show guest and a deft storyteller, trading quips with hosts like Johnny Carson while also advocating for stunt performers and working crews whose contributions he considered essential.

Writing, Teaching, and Reflection
In later years, Reynolds wrote candidly about his life in memoirs, including But Enough About Me. He reflected on choices he would have made differently, acknowledged mistakes, and expressed gratitude for the people who steadied him. He kept teaching through his institute in Florida, passing along practical wisdom about hitting marks, listening in a scene, and taking care of your fellow actors. His generosity with students and colleagues became as much a part of his legacy as the films that made him famous.

Death and Legacy
Burt Reynolds died on September 6, 2018, at age 82, after going into cardiac arrest in Florida. Tributes from peers and co-stars noted his warmth, his loyalty, and the indelible style he brought to American popular culture. He left behind a body of work that spans rugged thrillers, broad comedies, and quietly human television roles, as well as memories of friendships that carried him from the set of Deliverance to the last bow of Evening Shade. For many he remains the quintessential 1970s star, a singular mix of wry humor, physical daring, and a wink that let audiences know they were in on the fun.

Our collection contains 7 quotes who is written by Burt, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Legacy & Remembrance - Aging - Marriage.

Other people realated to Burt: Paul Thomas Anderson (Director), Brock Yates (Editor)