On This Day

Birthday of Burt Reynolds

February 11th 1936

14:44 11 February 2024

American actor, director and producer Burt Reynolds was born on this day in 1936. After numerous appearances on U.S. TV shows, Reynolds made his film debut in the low budget 'Angel Baby' (1961), followed by the war film 'Armored Command' (1961). Returning to TV he received widespread recognition for his role in the hit western series 'Gunsmoke' (1955-1975) before leaving in 1965.

His first leading film role was in the action movie 'Operation C.I.A.' (1965) and he continued to move between TV work and roles in movies including 'Navajo Joe' (1966), 'Shark' (1968), 'Sam Whiskey' (1969) and 'Skullduggery' (1970). After turning down a part in 'M*A*S*H' (1970) and the opportunity to play James Bond, Reynolds got his breakthrough role when he starred in John Boorman's 'Deliverance' (1972). The film was a huge commercial and critical success and turned the actor into one of Hollywood's biggest stars throughout the 1970s and 80s with starring roles in among others 'Shamus' (1973), 'The Mean Machine' (1974), 'Smokey and the Bandit' (1977), 'Semi-Tough' (1977), 'The End' (1978). 'Hooper' (1978), 'Smokey and the Bandit Ride Again' (1980), 'The Cannonball Run' (1980), 'Sharky's Machine' (1981), 'City Heat' (1984) and 'Malone' (1987).

After a lull in the early 1990s he had a career revival when he played an adult film director in Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Boogie Nights' (1997), a role which won him a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe Award. Reynolds was set to appear in Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood' (2019) when he died of a heart attack in September 2018. Burt Reynolds was one of Hollywood's greatest superstars.