Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds, born in 1936, American motion-picture actor and director, who excels in adventure films and comedies. He was born in Waycross, Georgia, and attended Florida State University, where he played football. After a knee injury ended his hopes for a professional football career, Reynolds moved to New York City to pursue acting. He eventually landed roles in several television Western series and also worked as a stuntman.

Reynolds’s breakthrough as an actor came in the film Deliverance (1972), about four friends who must fight for their lives during a canoeing trip through the Georgia wilderness. This was followed by roles in the films White Lightning (1973), The Longest Yard (1974), Hustle (1975), Gator (which Reynolds also directed, 1976), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Semi-Tough (1977), The Cannonball Run (1981), Stroker Ace (1983), City Heat (1984), and Heat (1987). After some work in television, Reynolds made a motion-picture comeback when he won a number of awards—including a Golden Globe—for his role as an adult-film director in Boogie Nights (1997). Other films include Mystery, Alaska (1999) and Tempted (2001).