Burt Reynolds

Stalwart handsome man Burt Reynolds started out with small roles in television shows like Gunsmoke before moving on to his own detective show, Dan August.

He became a staple of '70's cinema, as women swooned for his blend of rugged good looks and effortless charm, with a dash of swaggering machismo offset by secret sensitivity. The rare leading man who could handle both drama and comedy equally well, he appeared in films as varied as Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (But Were Afraid To Ask) and John Boorman's memorable thriller Deliverance. He appeared in the hits Semi-Tough, The End, and The Longest Yard - although the '70's Burt Reynolds" will probably be best remembered as the iconic car chase hero The Bandit from the blockbuster, Smokey and the Bandit.


Along the way, Reynolds turned down more roles than most actors ever get offered: Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment (Jack Nicholson won an Oscar for it); John McClane in Die Hard ('yipeekayayed' Bruce Willis' film career); the blowhard Dr. Rod Randall in Soapdish (played perfectly by Kevin Kline); and most regrettably (for him, at least), the role of James Bond in the early '70's, recently vacated by Sean Connery.

The '80's were a bumpy rollercoaster of movie offerings: ups (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Sharkey's Machine, Cannonball Run) and downs (Stroker Ace, Paternity, Heat, Stick, Malone). He returned to television with the detective series B.L. Stryker and won an Emmy for the long-running sitcom Evening Shade.

In the late-'90's, he had a career renaissance of sorts with a role in the critically acclaimed Boogie Nights. He followed this with roles in the films Mystery, Alaska and Driven.


In 2005, Burt had a role in the remake of his own c prison-football film, The Longest Yard (1974). At the remake's premiere, he caused a stir by slapping an interviewer. That same summer, he also revitalized the character of Boss Hogg in the movie version of The Dukes of Hazzard.


In 2005, Burt had a role in the remake of his own c prison-football film, The Longest Yard (1974). That same summer, he also revitalized the character of Boss Hogg in the movie version of The Dukes of Hazzard.