Hollywood lost one of its biggest legends this Thursday, when American icon Burt Reynolds died at the age of 82. According to his publicist, Smokey and the Bandit star passed away at a Florida hospital after suffering a heart attack.
Reynolds rose to prominence back in the ‘70s thanks to the roles in Deliverance, The Longest Yard and Smokey and the Bandit. He was Hollywood’s top-grossing star each year from 1978 through 1982, and later made a comeback with Oscar-nominated role in 1997’s Boogie Nights.
Reynolds turned down a string of high-profile roles during his five decades-long career. Some of them include James Bond, Han Solo in Star Wars and John McClane in Die Hard. His career would’ve shaped differently if he said “Yes”, but the Bandit didn’t want to push his acting abilities to their limit.
“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,” wrote the actor in his memoir But Enough About Me.
Burt Reynolds did the best with opportunities he did take, and he’ll stay remembered as one of Hollywood’s biggest trailblazers, who inspired generations to come.
