This is sad news. Iconic actor Burt Reynolds, who was probably best known for his role in Smokey and the Bandit, passed away on Thursday at the age of 82 in Jupiter, Florida. According to his agent, the cause of his death was cardiac arrest.

Burt, who played college football for my alma mater, Florida State, began his acting career with a recurring role on Gunsmoke. He was known as an action star, appearing in numerous television roles and in films such as Gator and Sharky’s Machine. Burt told CNN that he felt his best performance “by far” was in the 1972 drama Deliverance. In an interview years after the film was released, he said, “I thought maybe this film is more important in a lot of ways than we’ve given it credit for.” Burt also memorably posed nude for Cosmopolitan magazine in a much-parodied centerfold featured in the magazine’s April, 1972 issue. In his 2015 memoir, But Enough About Me, he said of that photo shoot that, “It’s been called one of the greatest publicity stunts of all time, but it was one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made and I’m convinced it cost Deliverance the recognition it deserved.”

Burt found his way to comedy in the late 70s and early 80s with films like Smokey and the Bandit as well as Cannonball Run and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. He received a much-deserved Oscar nomination for his role as adult filmmaker Jack Horner in 1997’s Boogie Nights. He’s also starred in numerous movies since then including Striptease, The Dukes of Hazard and The Last Movie Star (which was really good). He was also cast in Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood prior to his passing. Burt was also a philanthropist and devoted much of his time to teaching young actors, founding the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre in his home state of Florida.

Of his career, Burt told CNN, “I took the part that was the most fun… I didn’t take the part that would be the most challenging.” He passed up many notable roles, including Han Solo in Star Wars, John McClane in Die Hard and the role that eventually went to Jack Nicholson in Terms of Endearment. In his memoir, he admitted, “I didn’t open myself to new writers or risky parts because I wasn’t interested in challenging myself as an actor. I was interested in having a good time. As a result, I missed a lot of opportunities to show I could play serious roles. By the time I finally woke up and tried to get it right, nobody would give me a chance.”

This is a stinger for me personally, as I grew up with Burt, and he will be missed. He lived a good life, wrapping up his memoir with this fitting farewell: “I always wanted to experience everything and go down swinging. Well, so far, so good. I know I’m old, but I feel young. And there’s one thing they can never take away: Nobody had more fun than I did.” Rest in peace, Bandit.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Photos: Getty