Burt Reynolds Passes Away at 82-Years-Old
By Tess Farrand, Staff Writer
82-year-old Burt Reynolds passed away Thursday morning of a heart attack, his agent Todd Eisner confirmed to The Associated Press.
He was a heartthrob to some, a coarse man to others, but despite the public’s perception of Reynolds, he had a life full of heartbreaks and plenty to contemplate. Growing up, Reynolds struggled to have a good relationship with his father who was a veteran-turned the chief of police in Riveria Beach, Florida. At one-point Reynold’s father had him arrested for underage drinking. “For two more days, I sat in there. And for two more days, he threw every drunk he could on top of me,” Reynolds said of the incident. “We never really made up, but I think he was proud of me at the end.”
This was only the beginning of Reynold’s up and down life.
In the heat of his fame, Reynolds starred in movies like DELIVERANCE. Reynolds was the highest grossing actors for a decade (1972-1982). He got his start on Broadway in the 1940s and later transitioned into movies and TV. In his personal life, Reynolds was married twice, first to actress Judy Carne and later to actress Loni Anderson. Also, in the late 70’s until the 80’s, Reynolds had a relationship with SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT co-star Sally Field. Sadly, Reynolds filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the late 1990’s after his brutal divorce with Anderson. In 2016, Reynolds told Vanity Fair, “I’ve lost more money than is possible because I just haven’t watched it.”
Between all the hubbub and controversies, Reynolds’ biggest fan was his adopted son Quinton. He spoke about Quinton, now 29 years old, to Closer Weekly in July. “He is my greatest achievement. He’s a wonderful young man and is now working as a camera assistant in Hollywood. He never asked for any help with his career, he did it all himself, and I’m so proud of him. I love him very much.”
Stars are lending their praise of Reynolds on social media.
Burt Reynolds was one of my heroes. He was a trailblazer. He showed the way to transition from being an athlete to being the highest paid actor, and he always inspired me. He also had a great sense of humor – check out his Tonight Show clips. My thoughts are with his family.
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) September 6, 2018
Very sad to hearing about the passing of Burt Reynolds. He was a great actor, a philanthropist and a pioneer of the cool mustache. Thank you, Burt. You will be missed. pic.twitter.com/nuuFWMSnJg
— Steve Harvey (@IAmSteveHarvey) September 6, 2018
Reynolds was set to star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in the new Tarintino movie, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD. However, Reynolds passing came just weeks before his scenes were set to shoot.
The star said last year of his aging, “I don’t fear dying. I talk to God every night.”
Please remember to lift Reynolds’ son Quinton up in your prayers today.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” – Psalm 147:3 NIV
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