Actor Burt Reynolds dies at 82


Burt Reynolds, the legendary actor who brought his trademark swagger to dozens of films and TV shows over a decades-long career, has died at the age of 82.
Reynolds' manager, Erik Kritzer, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the actor died Thursday morning at Jupiter Medical Center in Florida. TMZ is reporting that Reynolds went into cardiac arrest and that his family was by his side when he died. The actor had been dealing with various health issues over the past few years, having had heart surgery in 2010 and having been hospitalized with flu symptoms in 2013, People reports.
Born in 1936, Reynolds rose to fame in part due to his role as Quint Asper on Gunsmoke, which helped him transition into an extraordinarily successful movie career. While he made his film debut in 1961, it was 1972's Deliverance that kickstarted a truly phenomenal run for the actor, who was quite prolific throughout the 1970s and 1980s, starring in back-to-back hit action and comedy films like Smokey and the Bandit and The Cannonball Run. He was so prolific, in fact, that he at one time had four separate movies in theaters at once, The Hollywood Reporter notes. In 1997, Reynolds was nominated for his first and only Academy Award for playing porn director Jack Horner in Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Reynolds had not stopped working in recent years, and he had been announced as part of the cast of Quentin Tarantino's new film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which hits theaters in July 2019. However, Reynolds had not yet filmed his scenes, having been scheduled to do so in a few weeks, and thus the role will need to be recast, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Weer at Soho Theatre Walthamstow: a 'silly, seductive, slapstick joy'
The Week Recommends Natalie Palamides' 'tear-inducingly funny' one-woman show opens London's newest venue
-
Can the world stop Israel from starving Gaza?
Today's Big Question Total blockade on food and aid enters its third month, and Israel is accused of 'weaponising starvation'
-
The timely revival of watchmaking
Under The Radar Artisan horology is enjoying a surprising resurgence
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia