Burt Reynolds: Essential films, career highs, and lasting legacy

TL;DR:

• Born February 11, 1936, died September 6, 2018, age 82.
  
• Box office king for five straight years, 1978 to 1982.
  
• Breakout with Deliverance, pop icon with Smokey and the Bandit.
  
• Oscar nominated for Boogie Nights in 1998, Emmy winner in 1991.
  
• His mix of charm, grit, and humor still shapes action comedy.

Burt Reynolds was a rare mix of charm, grit, and self-mockery. He rose from TV guest roles to a decade of box office rule, then earned late-career acclaim with Boogie Nights in 1997. He was born on February 11, 1936, in Lansing, Michigan, and died on September 6, 2018, in Jupiter, Florida. Britannica confirms these dates and places.

From 1978 through 1982 he was the top-grossing movie star in America, a five-year streak matched only by earlier legends. This five-year run is widely recorded in retrospectives and obituaries.

He earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Boogie Nights in 1998 and won an Emmy for Evening Shade in 1991. Britannica records both the Academy Award nomination and the Emmy win.

Early years and TV break

Reynolds started with television in the late 1950s and 1960s. Roles in Gunsmoke and Dan August built his profile and showed his easy authority on screen. Britannica identifies these series as early steps that led to film leads.

His easy laugh and physical confidence made him a talk-show favorite. By the early 1970s he was ready for a tough, career-defining role.

Film breakthrough

Deliverance (1972)

Deliverance proved Reynolds could handle serious drama. As Lewis Medlock, he gave a fierce, stripped-down performance that surprised critics. It set up his 1970s box office run. Britannica places Deliverance among the works that first made him a major film star.

The Longest Yard (1974)

Two years later he led a sports drama that balanced violence and humor. The film cemented his appeal to mainstream audiences and showed his gift for team dynamics. Britannica lists it as a marquee title of his peak period.

Pop icon of the late 1970s

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Smokey and the Bandit turned Reynolds into an icon. The hat, the laugh, and the Trans Am created a pop image that lasted decades. Multiple outlets credit the film with supercharging his fame and box office momentum into the 1980s.

Hooper (1978)

Playing a veteran stuntman, Reynolds saluted the daredevils who powered his action hits. The film linked his star persona to real stunt craft, an idea he returned to often.

The Cannonball Run and Sharky’s Machine (1981)

The Cannonball Run extended his car-chase comedy streak with an all-star cast. In the same year he directed Sharky’s Machine, proving he could manage tone, pacing, and action behind the camera. Britannica’s entries note both titles and his directing credit.

During these years he was Hollywood’s top box-office draw five years in a row, from 1978 to 1982. That run is the simplest way to explain his cultural footprint.

A challenging 1980s, then a late-career turn

The mid-1980s brought a mix of hits and misses. Roles in Stroker Ace and City Heat did not land with critics, yet Reynolds stayed prolific and visible. Britannica chronicles the swings without gloss.

He found steadier ground on television. Evening Shade ran from 1990 to 1994 and earned him the 1991 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Britannica lists both the series and the award.

Then came Boogie Nights in 1997. As Jack Horner, he delivered a cool, weary gravitas. The role earned him an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win, reaffirming his dramatic range. Britannica and industry obituaries align on those honors. 

Late in life he was cast in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He died before shooting his scenes, a detail confirmed by Variety.

Awards and recognition, in brief

• Academy Award, Best Supporting Actor nomination for Boogie Nights in 1998.
  
• Golden Globe wins, Boogie Nights in 1998, Evening Shade in 1992.
  
• Emmy win, Evening Shade in 1991, plus another nomination in 1992.
  

These milestones show how his career moved from action star to respected character actor without losing charm.

Essential Burt Reynolds films

What made him different

A relaxed, wry masculinity. Reynolds projected confidence without cruelty. Britannica describes how his self-deprecating humor softened the swagger.

Joy in performance. He loved physical comedy, stunts, and breaking a smile at the right time. That joy helped audiences forgive thin plots and cheer the ride.

Range across decades. From outdoors survival to satirical drama, he adapted. The Boogie Nights turn mattered because it was the opposite of Bandit, and it worked.

Common viewing paths

The actor’s arc, in four films. Start with Deliverance, jump to Smokey and the Bandit, then Sharky’s Machine, finish with Boogie Nights. You get range, tone, and growth.

The stuntman thread. Pair Hooper with The Cannonball Run. You will see how he fused action, slapstick, and camaraderie at his peak.

Why it matters

Reynolds helped define the modern action comedy. He made speed, sarcasm, and heart play well together. His late-career pivot showed how a star can age with grace and craft, not just charm. The awards and the five-year box office run back up that claim.

Fast facts

• Full name, Burton Leon Reynolds Jr.
  
• Born February 11, 1936, Lansing, Michigan. Died September 6, 2018, Jupiter, Florida.
  
• Emmy, 1991, Evening Shade. Oscar nomination, 1998, Boogie Nights.
  
• Directed Sharky’s Machine in 1981.
  
• Cast in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2018, did not film scenes.

Sources:

• Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Burt Reynolds | Biography, Movies, TV Shows, & Facts,” https://www.britannica.com/biography/Burt-Reynolds, accessed 2025-10-13.
  
• Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Burt Reynolds Facts,” https://www.britannica.com/facts/Burt-Reynolds, updated 2025-09-02.
  
• Associated Press, “Burt Reynolds, star of film, TV and tabloids, dead at 82,” https://apnews.com/article/d9f410145bbc41ad88786c4d50362e30, published 2018-09-06.
  

Variety, “Burt Reynolds Did Not Shoot His Scenes in Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’,” https://variety.com/2018/film/news/burt-reynolds-dead-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-1202930623/, published 2018-09-06.