Hollywood icon Burt Reynolds of 'Smokey and the Bandit' dead

Hollywood star Burt Reynolds, whose charismatic screen presence and trademark moustache made him one of the most recognisable actors of his generation, died on Thursday at the age of 82.

Reynolds' manager Erik Kritzer confirmed that the actor died at Jupiter Medical Center in Florida. His agent Todd Eisner said Reynolds suffered a cardiac arrest.

Known for blockbuster films such as “Smokey and the Bandit” and “The Longest Yard”, Reynolds remained a major Hollywood star for decades and successfully moved between action, drama and comedy roles.

His breakthrough came with John Boorman's 1972 thriller “Deliverance”, in which he played outdoorsman Lewis Medlock. Reynolds later called the Oscar-nominated film, which also starred Jon Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox, the best movie of his career.

The success of “Deliverance” established Reynolds as one of Hollywood's biggest stars. He went on to headline a string of popular films, including “White Lightning”, “The Longest Yard”, “Gator”, “Semi-Tough” and “Smokey and the Bandit”. In the latter, he played Bo “Bandit” Darville, a charming outlaw involved in a high-speed mission to transport beer across state lines.

Reynolds also demonstrated his comic talent in films such as “Striptease”, earning praise despite the movie's poor box-office performance.

Later in his career, he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jack Horner in Paul Thomas Anderson's “Boogie Nights”. Although Reynolds was critical of the film and said he never managed to watch it completely, the performance was widely regarded as one of the strongest of his later career.

The actor had been enjoying a career resurgence in his final years, appearing in films and television productions. In May, he was announced as part of the cast of Quentin Tarantino's “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, although he had not yet begun filming his scenes.

Reynolds' niece Nancy Lee Hess said his death came unexpectedly despite his having experienced health problems. She described him as a tough, generous and sensitive person who remained devoted to his family, friends, fans and acting students.

Born in Lansing, Michigan, on February 11, 1936, Reynolds grew up in Riviera Beach, Florida. He was an accomplished football player and initially hoped to pursue a professional career in the sport, but a series of injuries ended those ambitions. A teacher later recognised his acting potential while he was performing Shakespeare in an English class.

He briefly studied and worked in theatre in New York before moving to Hollywood, where he began appearing on television in the late 1950s. In 1962, he secured a regular role as Quint Asper, a half-Native American blacksmith, on the television series “Gunsmoke”.

Reynolds became one of Hollywood's most prominent leading men during the 1970s. His athletic ability and willingness to perform many of his own stunts added to his image as a charismatic action star, while his humour and easy-going personality helped establish him as a popular screen personality.

His fame extended beyond cinema. In 1972, he appeared as the first male nude centrefold in Cosmopolitan magazine, reinforcing his status as one of the era's biggest sex symbols.

Reynolds was married twice, first to Judy Carne from 1963 to 1965 and later to actress Loni Anderson from 1988 to 1993. He also had a widely publicised relationship with Sally Field, his co-star in “Smokey and the Bandit”, whom he later described as the love of his life and “the one that got away”.

Away from the screen, Reynolds developed a reputation for supporting young performers and established the Burt Reynolds Institute for Film and Theatre in Florida.

Reflecting on his life shortly before his death, Reynolds told The New York Times in 2018: “We're only here for a little while, and you've got to have some fun, right?” He added that he did not take himself too seriously — an attitude that became closely associated with the actor's enduring public image.