Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, director, and producer of film and television, considered a sex symbol and icon of American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in several different television series such as Gunsmoke (1962–1965), Hawk (1966), and Dan August (1970–1971).
Although Reynolds had leading roles in such films as Navajo Joe (1966), his breakthrough role was as Lewis Medlock in John Boorman‘s Deliverance (1972). Reynolds played the leading role – often a lovable rogue – in a number of subsequent box office hits, such as Robert Aldrich‘s The Longest Yard (1974), John G. Avildsen’s W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), with Connie Van Dyke, Jerry Reed, Ned Beaty, and Art Carney; Smokey and the Bandit (1977), with Sally Field, Reed, and Jackie Gleason; Semi-Tough (1977), with Kris Kristofferson, Jill Clayburgh, Robert Preston, Lotte Lenya, and Bert Convy; The End (1978), with Dom DeLuise, Field, Strother Martin, David Steinberg, Joanne Woodward, Norman Fell, Myrna Loy, Kristy McNichol, Pat O’Brien, Robby Benson, and Carl Reiner; Hooper (1978), with Field, Jan-Michael Vincent, Brian Keith, Robert Klein, James Best and Adam West; Starting Over (1979), with Clayburgh, and Candice Bergen; Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), The Cannonball Run (1981), with DeLuise, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Jackie Chan, Dean Martin, and Peter Fonda; Sharky’s Machine (1981), with Vittorio Gassman, Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Earl Holliman, Bernie Casey, Henry Silva, Darryl Hickman, Richard Libertini, Rachel Ward and Joseph Mascolo; The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), with Dolly Parton, Jim Nabors, Durning, Dom DeLuise, Noah Beery Jr., Robert Mandan, Lois Nettleton, Theresa Merritt, Barry Corbin, Mary Jo Catlett, and Mary Louise Wilson; and Cannonball Run II (1984), several of which he directed himself. He was nominated twice for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Reynolds was voted the world’s number one box office star for five consecutive years (from 1978 to 1982) in the annual Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll, a record he shares with Bing Crosby. After a number of box office failures, Reynolds returned to television, starring in the sitcom Evening Shade (1990–1994), which won him a Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
His performance as high-minded pornographer Jack Horner in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights (1997), with Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and William H. Macy, brought him renewed critical attention, earning him another Golden Globe (for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture), with nominations for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Other notable films include Peter Bogdanovich‘s At Long Last Love (1975), with Cybill Shepherd, Madeline Kahn, Duilio Del Prete, Eileen Brennan, John Hillerman, Mildred Natwick; Paternity (1981), with Beverly D’Angelo, Norman Fell, Paul Dooley, Elizabeth Ashley, and Lauren Hutton; Norman Jewison’s Best Friends (1982), with Goldie Hawn, Jessica Tandy, Barnard Hughes, Audra Lindley, Keenan Wynn, and Ron Silver; Blake Edwards’ The Man Who Loved Women (1983), with Julie Andrews and Kim Basinger; Richard Benjamin‘s City Heat (1984), with Clint Eastwood, Jane Alexander, Kahn, Rip Torn, Irene Cara, Richard Roundtree, and Tony Lo Bianco; Rent-a-Cop (1988), with Liza Minnelli, James Remar, Richard Masur, Bernie Casey, John Stanton, John P. Ryan, Dionne Warwick, and Robby Benson; Switching Channels (1989), with Kathleen Turner, Christopher Reeve, Beatty, and Henry Gibson; Physical Evidence (1989), with Theresa Russell; and Breaking In (1989), with Casey Siemaszko and Lorraine Toussaint.
Later roles include Alexander Payne’s Citizen Ruth (1996), with Laura Dern, Swoosie Kurtz, Kelly Preston, Kurtwood Smith, Mary Kay Place, Kenneth Mars, and Tippi Hedren; Meet Wally Sparks (1997), with Rodney Dangerfield, Debi Mazar, Michael Weatherly, Cindy Williams, Alan Rachins, and David Ogden Stiers; Mystery, Alaska (1999), with Russell Crowe, Hank Azaria, Mary McCormack, Lolita Davidovich, Ron Eldard, Colm Meaney, & Maury Chaykin; The Last Producer (2000), with Sean Astin, Ann-Margret, Lauren Holly, Rod Steiger, and Benjamin Bratt; Mike Figgis’ Hotel (2001), with Saffron Burrows, Salma Hayek, Lucy Liu, Julian Sands, and David Schwimmer; Without a Paddle (2004), with Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, Dax Shepard, Ethan Suplee, Abraham Benrubi, Rachel Blanchard, Christina Moore, Bonnie Somerville, and Ray Baker; and The Last Movie Star (2017), with Ariel Winter, Clark Duke, Ellar Coltrane and Chevy Chase.
Each review will be linked to the title below.
(*seen originally in theaters)
(**seen rereleased in theaters)
- Angel Baby (1961) – directed by Paul Wendkos
- Armored Command (1961) – directed by Byron Haskin
- Operation C.I.A. (1965) – directed by Christian Nyby
- Navajo Joe (1966) – directed by Sergio Corbucci
- 100 Rifles (1969) – directed by Tom Gries
- Sam Whiskey (1969) – directed by Arnold Laven
- Impasse (1969) – directed by Richard Benedict
- Shark! (1969) – directed by Samuel Fuller
- Skullduggery (1970) – directed by Gordon Douglas
- Fuzz (1972) – directed by Richard A. Colla
- Deliverance (1972) – directed by John Boorman
- Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972) – directed by Woody Allen
- Shamus (1973) – directed by Buzz Kulik
- The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973) – directed by Richard C. Sarafian
- White Lightning (1973) – directed by Joseph Sargent
- The Longest Yard (1974) – directed by Robert Aldrich
- At Long Last Love (1975) – directed by Peter Bogdanovich
- W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975) – directed by John G. Avildsen
- Lucky Lady (1975) – directed by Stanley Donen
- Hustle (1975) – directed by Robert Aldrich – also executive producer
- Silent Movie (1976) – directed by Mel Brooks – cameo as himself
- Gator (1976) – also director
- Nickelodeon (1976) – directed by Peter Bogdanovich
- Smokey and the Bandit (1977)** – directed by Hal Needham
- Semi-Tough (1977) – directed by Michael Ritchie
- The End (1978) – also director
- Hooper (1978) – directed by Hal Needham – also producer
- Starting Over (1979) – directed by Alan J. Pakula
- Rough Cut (1980) – directed by Don Siegel
- Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) – directed by Hal Needham
- The Cannonball Run (1981) – directed by Hal Needham
- Paternity (1981) – directed by David Steinberg
- Sharky’s Machine (1981) – also director
- The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) – directed by Colin Higgins
- Best Friends (1982) – directed by Norman Jewison
- Stroker Ace (1982) – directed by Hal Needham
- Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983) – directed by Dick Lowry
- The Man Who Loved Women (1983) – directed by Blake Edwards
- Cannonball Run II (1984) – directed by Hal Needham
- City Heat (1984) – directed by Richard Benjamin
- Stick (1985) – also director
- Uphill All the Way (1986) – directed by Frank Q. Dobbs – uncredited cameo
- Heat (1986) – directed by Dick Richards & Jerry Jameson
- Malone (1987) – directed by Harley Cokeliss
- Rent-a-Cop (1988) – directed by Jerry London
- Switching Channels (1988) – directed by Ted Kotcheff
- Physical Evidence (1989) – directed by Michael Crichton
- Breaking In (1989) – directed by Bill Forsyth
- All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) – directed by Don Bluth & Gary Goldman
- Modern Love (1990) – directed by Robby Benson
- The Player (1992) – directed by Robert Altman – cameo as himself
- Cop and a Half (1993) – directed by Henry Winkler
- Wind in the Wire (1993) – directed by Jim Shea – TV movie
- The Man from Left Field (1993) – also director – TV movie
- The Maddening (1995) – directed by Danny Huston
- Citizen Ruth (1996) – directed by Alexander Payne
- Striptease (1996) – directed by Andrew Bergman
- Mad Dog Time (1996) – directed by Larry Bishop
- Raven (1996) – directed by Russell Solberg – direct-to-video
- The Cherokee Kid (1996) – directed by Paris Barclay – TV movie
- Meet Wally Sparks (1997) – directed by Peter Baldwin
- Bean (1997) – directed by Mel Smith
- Boogie Nights (1997) – directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
- Big City Blues (1997) – directed by Clive Fleury – also co-producer
- Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms (1998) – directed by Jeff Woolnough – TV movie
- Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business (1998) – directed by Jeff Woolnough – TV movie
- Hard Time (1998) – also director – TV movie
- Hard Time: The Premonition (1999) – directed by David S. Cass Sr. – TV movie
- The Hunter’s Moon (1999) – directed by Richard C. Weinman – direct-to-video
- Pups (1999) – directed by Ash
- Mystery, Alaska (1999) – directed by Jay Roach
- Hard Time: Hostage Hotel (1999) – directed by Hal Needham – TV movie
- Waterproof (2000) – directed by Barry Berman
- The Crew (2000) – directed by Michael Dinner
- The Last Producer (2000) – also director
- Driven (2000) – directed by Renny Harlin
- Tempted (2001) – directed by Bill Bennett
- Hotel (2001) – directed by Mike Figgis
- The Hollywood Sign (2001) – directed by Sönke Wortmann
- Time of the Wolf (2002) – directed by Rod Pridy
- Johnson County War (2002) – directed by David S. Cass Sr. – TV movie
- Miss Lettie and Me (2002) – directed by Ian Barry – TV movie
- Hard Ground (2003) – directed by Frank Q. Dobbs
- The Librarians (2003) – directed by Mike Kirton – uncredited
- Without a Paddle (2004) – directed by Steven Brill
- The Longest Yard (2005) – directed by Peter Segal
- The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)* – directed by Jay Chandrasekhar
- The Legend of Frosty the Snowman (2005) – directed by Emily Kapnek – direct-to-DVD
- Cloud 9 (2006) – directed by Harry Basil – direct-to-DVD
- End Game (2006) – directed by Andy Cheng
- Forget About It (2006) – directed by BJ Davis
- Grilled (2006) – directed by Jason Ensler
- Broken Bridges (2006) – directed by Steven Goldmann
- In the Name of the King (2007) – directed by Uwe Boll
- Randy and the Mob (2007) – directed by Ray McKinnon – uncredited
- Deal (2008) – directed by Gil Cates Jr
- Delgo (2008) – directed by Marc F. Adler & Jason Maurer
- A Bunch of Amateurs (2008) – directed by Andy Cadiff
- Not Another Not Another Movie (2011) – directed by David Murphy – direct-to-DVD
- Reel Love (2011) – directed by Brian K. Roberts – TV movie
- Category 5 (2014) – directed by Rob King – TV movie
- A Magic Christmas (2014) – directed by R. Michael Givens – direct-to-DVD
- Pocket Listing (2015) – directed by Conor Allyn
- Hamlet & Hutch (2015) – directed by Jared & Matthew Young – direct-to-DVD
- Hollow Creek (2016) – directed by Guisela Moro – direct-to-DVD
- Elbow Grease – directed by Jason Shirley
- Shangri La Suite (2016) – directed by Eddie O’Keefe
- Apple of My Eye (2017) – directed by Castille Landon – direct-to-DVD
- The Last Movie Star (2017) – directed by Adam Rifkin
- Miami Love Affair (2017) – directed by Ralph Kinnard
- Henri (2017) – directed by Octavian O. – direct-to-DVD
- Shadow Fighter (2017) – directed by Alyn Darnay
- An Innocent Kiss (2019) – directed by Jason Shirley – posthumous release
- Defining Moments (2020) – directed by Stephen Wallis -posthumous release
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