Burt Reynolds
- Thread starter Jackflash
- Start date
Very sad. Burt was easily one of my favourite performers. Not because he was a great actor (although he was Oscar nominated for his role in Boogie Nights) but he had tremendous screen presence and his comedy movies were just brilliant, easy going entertainment. He was a modest and funny man once stating that his movies were the kind they show in prisons and airplanes because nobody could leave!! He was also a highly rated American football player who won a sports scholarship to Florida State University, where there were high hopes of him turning pro before being struck down with a knee injury. Puts his performance in The Longest Yard in perspective as he obviously knew what the role demanded. That movie was originally entitled The Mean Machine in this country before the British 'soccer' version starring Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham was released.
His breakthrough role came as Lewis Medlock in the cult movie Deliverance but it was his comedy films which earned him the accolate as Hollywood's leading heart-throb and actor for 5 consecutive years in the 70s. My favourites were the Cannonball Run series and the Smokey and the Bandit films. I particularly enoyed the Cannonball movies and it's very sad to realise that so many of its talented stars have now passed away. Apart from Burt, that includes Dean Martin; Sammy Davis Jr: Frank Sinatra: Roger Moore: Farrah Fawcett: Dom De Luise, Jack Elam and others.
His co-stars and fellow actors speak highly of him saying that he was a generous performer who always created a fun atmosphere when he was making his films. Some of the following bloopers and out-takes will give those who don't know his work an idea of the man and how he worked. "Bleeds? You mean these bleeds?" And the fun goes on. Fabulous memories. RIP, Burt and thank you.
His breakthrough role came as Lewis Medlock in the cult movie Deliverance but it was his comedy films which earned him the accolate as Hollywood's leading heart-throb and actor for 5 consecutive years in the 70s. My favourites were the Cannonball Run series and the Smokey and the Bandit films. I particularly enoyed the Cannonball movies and it's very sad to realise that so many of its talented stars have now passed away. Apart from Burt, that includes Dean Martin; Sammy Davis Jr: Frank Sinatra: Roger Moore: Farrah Fawcett: Dom De Luise, Jack Elam and others.
His co-stars and fellow actors speak highly of him saying that he was a generous performer who always created a fun atmosphere when he was making his films. Some of the following bloopers and out-takes will give those who don't know his work an idea of the man and how he worked. "Bleeds? You mean these bleeds?" And the fun goes on. Fabulous memories. RIP, Burt and thank you.
Loved Burt - his cannonball movies were a staple backdrop in my house on Saturday evenings RIP big fella 