Burt Reynolds, the original Bandit, has died at 82, of a heart attack after a long illness. Known for his roles in Deliverance, The Longest Yard and Smokey and the Bandit, he was a heartthrob who loved playing ‘fun’ roles though he did receive an Oscar nomination when he portrayed porn director Jack Horner in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights (1997.
For five years Reynolds was No. 1 box-office attraction often playing the romantic lead in such films as 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, quite aptly, The Man Who Loved Women (1983) with Julie Andrews.
There was no one quite like him.
