Burt Reynolds dead at 82: Smokey and the Bandit star has died

The Hollywood legend passed away this morning.

According to his manager, Erik Kritzer, Reynolds died at Jupiter Medical Center in Florida.

The Hollywood Reporter and numerous agencies are reporting the breaking news but there has been no statement yet from the family.

The actor was the biggest box office star of the late 1970s and had made numerous comebacks. He was currently filming Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood at the time of his death.

Little is known yet about the circumstances surrounding his sudden passing. Reports claim he suffered a cardiac arrest, but no official confirmation has been given yet.

Although the actor had appeared frail at recent public appearances, he was still working constantly in the industry that made him a huge global star.

His latest movie, The Last Movie star hit headlines after Modern Family actress Ariel Winter appeared naked in raunchy scenes.

Reynolds himself famously flirted with nudity by defying convention and appearing naked in Cosmopolitan magazine – a move he later regretted, saying it cost Deliverance and Oscar hopes in 1972. 

The actor made his Hollywood debut back in 1961 in the George Hamilton movie Angel Baby.

It wasn’t long before his leading man looks and undeniable confidence and charisma propelled him to headlining movies like Navajo Joe and a series of action movies throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s.

But his true heyday arrived in the late 1970s when he was named as the biggest box office draw for five years running.

In 1977 Smokey and the Bandit was the second biggest film of the year behind Star Wars and made Reynolds a superstar, heartthrob and the biggest name in Hollywood 

It was swiftly followed by two sequels as well as the equally iconic Cannonball Run series.

Reynolds’ tough guy image was tempered by his flair for comedy and both were put to good use in a series of romantic comedies. 

The Hollywood hunk starred in Starting Over (1979) opposite Jill Clayburgh and Candice Bergen, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) with Dolly Parton, Best Friends (1982) with Goldie Hawn and The Man Who Loved Women (1983) with Julie Andrews.

He was also in high-profile relationships with Dinah Shore and Sally Fields, and was married twice to Judy Carne and Loni Anderson. 

However, by the late 1980s his star was on the wane.

A series of forgettable roles throughout the mid 1980s and 1990s lead many to think his career was over but he made a remarkable comeback after 1996’s controversial Striptease. His performance was a s notable for its audacity as for the actor’s extensively rejuvenated appearance.

An Oscar nomination followed in 1997 for Boogie Nights and Reynolds continued to work solidly through the next two decades.

Even so, the star turned down some of the biggest and most iconic roles in cinema history, including Han Solo and the leads in Die Hard and Terms of Endearment, as well as TV’s Batman. He also commented that he was first choice for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Pretty Woman.