Editing Burt Reynolds (section)

==Career==

===Theater===
The Florida State Drama Award included a scholarship to the Hyde Park Playhouse, a [[summer stock theater]] in [[Hyde Park, New York|Hyde Park]], New York. Reynolds considered the opportunity as an agreeable alternative to more physically demanding summer jobs, but did not yet consider acting as a possible career. While working there, Reynolds met [[Joanne Woodward]], who helped him find an agent.

"I don't think I ever actually saw him perform," said Woodward. "I knew him as this cute, shy, attractive boy. He had the kind of lovely personality that made you want to do something for him."<ref name="macho"/>

He was cast in ''[[Tea and Sympathy (play)|Tea and Sympathy]]'' at the [[Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre|Neighborhood Playhouse]] in New York City. After his Broadway debut in ''Look, We've Come Through'', he received favorable reviews for his performance and went on tour with the cast, driving the bus as well as appearing on stage.<ref>Reynolds, pp. 59–63.</ref>

After the tour, Reynolds returned to New York and enrolled in acting classes, along with [[Frank Gifford]], [[Carol Lawrence]], [[Red Buttons]] and [[Jan Murray]].

"I was a working actor for two years before I finally took my first real acting class (with [[Wynn Handman]] at the [[Neighborhood Playhouse]])," he said. "It was a lot of technique, truth, moment-to-moment, how to listen, improv."<ref name="macho"/>

After a botched improvisation in acting class, Reynolds briefly considered returning to Florida, but soon gained a part in a revival of ''[[Mister Roberts (play)|Mister Roberts]]'', in which [[Charlton Heston]] played the starring role.

After the play closed, the director [[John Forsythe]] arranged a movie audition with [[Joshua Logan]] for Reynolds. The movie was ''[[Sayonara]]'' (1957). Reynolds was told that he could not be in the movie because he looked too much like Marlon Brando. Logan advised Reynolds to go to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], although Reynolds did not feel confident enough to do so.<ref>Reynolds, pp. 63–65.</ref> (Another source says that Reynolds did a screen test after studio talent agent [[Lew Wasserman]] saw the effect that Reynolds had on secretaries in his office, but the test was unsuccessful.<ref name="river">{{Cite news|title=Riverboat Set to Sink Maverick|author=Wolters, Larry|work=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=August 20, 1959|page=c10}}</ref>)

Reynolds worked in a variety of jobs, such as waiting tables, washing dishes, driving a delivery truck, and as a [[Bouncer (doorman)|bouncer]] at the [[Roseland Ballroom]]. He wrote that while working as a [[Stevedore|dockworker]], he was offered $150 to jump through a glass window on a live television show.<ref>Reynolds, pp. 65–67.</ref>

===Early television and ''Riverboat''===
[[File:Darren McGavin and Burt Reynolds in Riverboat.jpg|upright|thumb|Reynolds (right) with [[Darren McGavin]] in ''[[Riverboat (TV series)|Riverboat]]''.]]
[[File:Burt Reynolds John Williams The Bard Twilight Zone 1963.jpg|upright|thumb|Reynolds (left) with [[John Williams (actor)|John Williams]] as [[William Shakespeare]] in ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' featuring Reynolds parodying [[look-alike]] [[Marlon Brando]].]]
Reynolds began acting for television during the late 1950s, with guest roles on shows like ''[[Flight (TV series)|Flight]]'', ''[[M Squad]]'', ''[[Schlitz Playhouse]]'', ''[[The Lawless Years]]'' and ''[[Pony Express (TV series)|Pony Express]]''. He signed a seven-year contract with Universal Studios.<ref name="honest">{{Cite news|title=Television: Honest Injun|first=Joan|last=Barthel|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 24, 1966|page=77}}</ref> "I don't care whether he can act or not," said Wasserman. "Anyone who has this effect on women deserves a break."<ref name="river"/>

Reynolds's first big opportunity came when he was cast alongside [[Darren McGavin]], who was the main actor of the television series ''[[Riverboat (TV series)|Riverboat]]'' (1959–61), playing Ben Frazer, the boat's [[maritime pilot|pilot]]. According to a contemporary report, Reynolds was considered "a double for Marlon Brando".<ref name="river"/> The show played for two seasons, but Reynolds quit after only 20 episodes, claiming that he did not get along with McGavin nor the executive producer, and that he had "a stupid part".<ref name="bob">{{Cite news|title=Burt Joins 'Gunsmoke'|author=Thomas, Bob|work=Chicago Tribune|date=May 5, 1963|page=d15}}</ref>

Reynolds subsequently said that he "couldn't get a job. I didn't have a very good reputation. You just don't walk out on a network television series."<ref name="honest"/>

Reynolds returned to guest featuring in television shows. As he put it, "I played heavies in every series in town,"<ref name="bob"/> appearing in episodes of ''[[Playhouse 90]]'', ''[[Johnny Ringo (TV series)|Johnny Ringo]]'', ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'', ''[[Lock Up (TV series)|Lock Up]]'', ''The Blue Angels'', ''[[Michael Shayne (TV series)|Michael Shayne]]'', ''[[Zane Grey Theater]]'', ''[[The Aquanauts]]'' and ''[[The Brothers Brannagan]]''. "They were depressing years," he later said.<ref name="honest"/>

Reynolds starred in the low budget film ''[[Angel Baby (1961 film)|Angel Baby]]'' (1961). He followed it with a role in a war film ''[[Armored Command]]'' (1961). "It was the one picture that [[Howard Keel]] didn't sing on," reminisced Reynolds. "That was a terrible mistake."<ref name="gene">{{Cite news|title=Workaholic Burt Reynolds sets up his next task: Light comedy|author=Siskel, Gene|work=Chicago Tribune|date=November 28, 1976|page=e2}}</ref>

In 1961, he returned to [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] to appear in ''Look, We've Come Through'', directed by [[José Quintero]], but it lasted only five performances.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/look-weve-come-through-2891|title=Look, We've Come Through – Broadway Play – Original – IBDB|website=IBDB|access-date=September 8, 2018|archive-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727082834/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/look-weve-come-through-2891|url-status=live}}</ref>

Reynolds continued to guest-star on episodes of ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]'', ''[[Ripcord (TV series)|Ripcord]]'', ''[[Everglades (TV series)|Everglades]]'', ''[[Route 66 (TV series)|Route 66]]'', ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' and ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' ("[[The Bard (The Twilight Zone)|The Bard]]", an hour-long send-up of Reynolds's [[look-alike]] Marlon Brando). He later said, "I learned more about my craft in these guest shots than I did standing around and looking virile on ''Riverboat''."<ref name="smoke">{{Cite news|title=Wait a Minute, Marshal Dillon, What About Me?|author=Humphrey, Hal|work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 22, 1964|page=C11}}</ref>

===''Gunsmoke''===
[[File:Burt Reynolds Gunsmoke 1962.JPG|thumb|right|upright|Reynolds as Quint Asper in ''[[Gunsmoke]]'', 1962.]]

In 1962, [[Dennis Weaver]] wanted to quit the cast of ''[[Gunsmoke]]'', one of the top-rated shows in the country. The producers developed a new character, "half-breed" [[blacksmith]] Quint Asper. Reynolds was cast, chosen over 300 other contenders. He announced that he would stay on the show "until it ends. I think it's a terrible mistake for an actor to leave a series in the middle of it."<ref name="bob"/> Reynolds left ''Gunsmoke'' in 1965. He later said that being in that show was "the happiest period of my life. I hated to leave that show but I felt I had served my apprenticeship and there wasn't room for two leading men."<ref name="honest"/>

He was cast in his first lead role in a movie, the low-budget action movie ''[[Operation C.I.A.]]'' (1965). He also guest-starred on the television series ''[[Flipper (1964 TV series)|Flipper]]'', ''[[The F.B.I. (TV series)|The F.B.I.]]'' and ''[[12 O'Clock High (TV series)|12 O'Clock High]]''.

===''Hawk'' and leading roles in films===
Reynolds was given the title role of a TV series, ''[[Hawk (TV series)|Hawk]]'' (1966–67), playing Native American detective John Hawk. It ran for 17 episodes before being cancelled.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Hawk 'Murdered' by TV Movies; Burt Reynolds Looks to the Future|author=Lowry, Cynthia|work=Chicago Tribune|date=November 6, 1966|page=j13}}</ref>

He played another Native American in the [[Spaghetti Western|Italian Western]] film ''[[Navajo Joe]]'' (1966), which was filmed in Spain. He said, "It wasn't my favorite picture." He later said, "I had two expressions—mad and madder."<ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-Stunt Man Leaps Into Star Status|author=Johnson, Patricia|work=Los Angeles Times|date=August 11, 1968|page=c18}}</ref>

He guest-starred in ''[[Gentle Ben]]'', and made a pilot for a TV series, ''[[Premiere (TV series)|Lassiter]]'', in which he would have played a magazine journalist. It did not develop into a series.<ref>{{cite news|title=INSIDE TV: Run, Buddy, Run Waiting in Limbo|author=MacMINN, ALEENE|work=Los Angeles Times|date=November 11, 1966|page=D22}}</ref>

Reynolds made a series of movies in quick succession: ''[[Shark!]]'' (1969), filmed in Mexico, was directed by [[Sam Fuller]], who removed his name from it, after which its release was held up for a number of years. Reynolds described ''[[Fade In (film)|Fade In]]'' as "the best thing I've ever done",<ref name="stoic">{{Cite news|title=Burt Reynolds, Who Plays Haff-Breeds Stoic About Roles|author=Clifford, Terry|work=Chicago Tribune|date=April 6, 1969|page=f14}}</ref> but it was not released for a number of years, and off of which director [[Jud Taylor]] took his name. ''[[Impasse (film)|Impasse]]'' (1969) was a war movie filmed in the Philippines. Reynolds plays the title role in ''[[Sam Whiskey]]'' (1969), a comic Western written by [[William W. Norton]], which Reynolds later said was "way ahead of its time. I was playing light comedy and nobody cared."<ref name="gene"/>

Reynolds starred with [[Jim Brown]] and [[Raquel Welch]] in another Western, ''[[100 Rifles]]'' (1969). He said, "I spent the entire time refereeing fights between Jim Brown and Raquel Welch."<ref>{{Cite news|title=BURT PRELUTSKY: Two Centerfolds|work=Los Angeles Times|date=December 24, 1972|page=k14}}</ref>

In a 1969 interview, Reynolds expressed interest in playing roles like the John Garfield part in ''[[The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946 film)|The Postman Always Rings Twice]]'', but no one gave him the opportunity. "Instead, the producer hands me a script and says 'I know it's not there now kid, but I know we can make it work.'"<ref name="stoic"/>

Reynolds declined the leading role for the film ''[[M*A*S*H (film)|M*A*S*H]]'' (1970), which went to [[Elliott Gould]]. He starred in the film ''[[Skullduggery (1970 film)|Skullduggery]]'' (1970), filmed in Jamaica. He joked that after making "those wonderful, forgettable pictures... I suddenly realized I was as hot as [[Leo Gorcey]]."<ref name="quinn"/>

Reynolds featured in two television films: ''[[Hunters Are for Killing]]'' (1970) and ''[[Run, Simon, Run]]'' (1970). In ''Hunters Are for Killing'', his character was originally a Native American, but Reynolds requested that this element be changed, feeling that he had played the persona too many times already, and that it was not needed for the character anyway.<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Film a Feather for Burt's Bonnet|date=March 12, 1970|work=Los Angeles Times|page=g17}}</ref>

===''Dan August'' and talk shows===
[[File:Burt_Reynolds_1970.JPG|thumb|upright|right|Reynolds in 1970.]]
Reynolds played the title character in the police television drama ''[[Dan August]]'' (1970–71), produced by [[Quinn Martin]]. Reynolds had previously guest-starred in two episodes of Martin's production [[The F.B.I. (TV series)|''The F.B.I.'']]<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Today: ABC Star Vows to Oust Lord Series Petersen, Clarence|work=Chicago Tribune|date=August 11, 1970|page=a15}}</ref> The series was given a full-season order of 26 episodes, based on the reputation of Martin and Reynolds, but it struggled in the ratings against ''[[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)|Hawaii Five-0]]'' and was not renewed.<ref name="quinn">{{Cite news|title=New York Today: Burt Reynolds Courts Winning Record|author=Kramer, Carol|work=Chicago Tribune|date=December 20, 1970|page=s1}}</ref>

[[Albert R. Broccoli]] asked Reynolds to play [[James Bond]] after [[Sean Connery]], but Reynolds declined the role, saying, "An American can't play James Bond. It just can't be done."<ref>[http://movies.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1038368.php Monsters and Critics] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070224193051/http://movies.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1038368.php |date=February 24, 2007 }}</ref>

After the cancelation of the series, Reynolds appeared in his first stage play in six years; a production of ''[[The Tender Trap (play)|The Tender Trap]]'' at Arlington Park Theatre. He was offered other TV pilots, but was reluctant to play a detective again.

Around this time, he had become well known as a charismatic talk-show guest, starting with an appearance on ''[[The Merv Griffin Show]]''. He made jokes at his own expense, calling himself America's most "[[Famous for being famous|well-known unknown]]" who made the kind of movies "they show in airplanes or prisons or anywhere else the people can't get out". He proved enormously popular and was frequently asked back by [[Merv Griffin|Griffin]] and [[Johnny Carson]]; he even guest-hosted ''[[The Tonight Show]]''.<ref name="macho"/> He was so popular as a guest that he was offered his own talk show, but he wanted to continue as an actor.<ref name="image">{{Cite news|title=Burt Changes His TV Image with Comedy|author=Martin, James|work=Chicago Tribune|date=September 5, 1971|page=e2}}</ref>

He later said that his talk show appearances were "the best thing that ever happened to me. They changed everything drastically overnight. I spent ten years looking virile, saying, 'Put up your hands.' After the Carson, Griffin, [[The David Frost Show|Frost]], [[Dinah's Place|Dinah's show]], suddenly I have a personality."<ref>{{cite news|title=What Kind of Playmate Is Burt?|first=Roger|last=Ebert|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 26, 1972|page=D13}}</ref>

"I realized that people liked me, that I was enough," said Reynolds. "So if I could transfer that character—the irreverent, self-deprecating side of me, my favorite side of me—onto the screen, I could have a big career."<ref name="times">{{Cite news|title=THE REYNOLDS CURSE:MAKING IT LOOK EASY|author=Maslin, Janet|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 24, 1980|page=C.15}}</ref>

===''The Godfather'' and Marlon Brando feud===
Reynolds was considered for the role of [[Sonny Corleone]] in ''[[The Godfather (film)|The Godfather]]'', but [[Francis Ford Coppola]]'s desire to cast [[James Caan]] in the part prevailed. There was talk that Reynolds's participation was vetoed by Marlon Brando, who had a lack of respect for him.<ref name="Esquire Brando Reynolds">{{cite web|last1=Nero|first1=Dom|title=Burt Reynolds Was Almost Michael Corleone in The Godfather—But Marlon Brando Stopped It|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a29123657/burt-reynolds-marlon-brando-feud-the-godfather/|website=Esquire.com|date=September 19, 2019|publisher=Esquire Magazine|access-date=August 13, 2023|archive-date=August 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813183225/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a29123657/burt-reynolds-marlon-brando-feud-the-godfather/|url-status=live}}</ref> Brando denied that he played a role in thwarting the casting of Reynolds, saying in a January 1979 ''[[Playboy magazine|Playboy]]'' interview that Coppola would not have cast Reynolds in the part.

Reynolds later claimed that he declined the role of Sonny. (''The Godfather'' [[Movie producer|producer]] [[Albert S. Ruddy]] would produce ''[[The Cannonball Run (film)|The Cannonball Run]]'' and ''[[Cannonball Run II]]'', two Reynolds movie successes during the 1980s.)

The Brando-Reynolds feud became [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] legend. Reynolds said that he could not understand Brando's enmity toward him. In a 2015 interview with ''[[The Manchester Guardian|The Guardian]]'', Reynolds said, "He was a strange man. He didn't like me at all." He did not consciously imitate Brando, nor act like him, nor try to look like him; he even grew a mustache so that people would stop saying that he looked like Brando.<ref name="Guardian video">{{cite AV media|title=Burt Reynolds in conversation with the Guardian: 'Marlon Brando was a strange man' – archive video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBn9tQA6eEo|publisher=Guardian News|via=YouTube|access-date=August 13, 2023|archive-date=August 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813183046/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBn9tQA6eEo&gl=US&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

When he was finally introduced to Brando, Reynolds said that he told him that he was the finest actor in the world. Brando replied, "I wish I could say the same for you."<ref name= "Guardian video" />

===''Deliverance'' and ''Cosmopolitan'' centerfold===
Reynolds had a major role in the movie ''[[Deliverance]]'', directed by [[John Boorman]], who cast him on the basis of a talk show appearance. "It's the first time I haven't had a script with [[Paul Newman]]'s and [[Robert Redford]]'s fingerprints all over it," Reynolds joked. "The producers actually came to me first."<ref name="image"/>

"I've waited 15 years to do a really good movie," he said in 1972. "I made so many bad pictures. I was never able to turn anyone down. The greatest curse in Hollywood is to be a well-known unknown."<ref name="ebert">{{cite news|title=What Kind of Playmate Is Burt?|author=Ebert, Roger|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 26, 1972|page=D13|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/03/26/archives/what-kind-of-playmate-is-burt.html|access-date=September 16, 2018|archive-date=September 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916093052/https://www.nytimes.com/1972/03/26/archives/what-kind-of-playmate-is-burt.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

It was around this time when Reynolds also gained notoriety when he began a well-publicized relationship with [[Dinah Shore]], who was 20 years his senior, and after he posed nude in the April 1972 issue of ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/09/06/how-burt-reynolds-changed-the-way-we-thought-about-sex-by-getting-naked-on-a-bearskin-rug/|title=Burt Reynolds changed the way we thought about sex — by getting naked on a bearskin rug|date=September 7, 2018|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=September 7, 2018|archive-date=September 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907134034/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/09/06/how-burt-reynolds-changed-the-way-we-thought-about-sex-by-getting-naked-on-a-bearskin-rug/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17896980|title=Burt Reynolds nude: 10 facts about the Cosmo centrefold|work=BBC News|date=April 30, 2012|access-date=June 21, 2018|archive-date=June 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620192136/https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17896980|url-status=live}}</ref> Reynolds said that he posed for ''Cosmopolitan'' for "a kick. I have a strange sense of humor," and because he knew that ''Deliverance'' was about to be released.<ref name="ebert"/> He later expressed regret for posing for ''Cosmopolitan''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Burt Reynolds: Nude photo cost 'Deliverance' Oscar glory|url=http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=771035|website=MSN|access-date=January 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101045813/http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=771035|archive-date=November 1, 2012}}</ref>

''Deliverance'' was a commercial and critical success, which, along with talk-show appearances, helped establish Reynolds as a major [[movie star|movie actor]]. "The night of the Academy Awards, I counted a half-dozen Burt Reynolds jokes," he later said. "I had become a household name, the most talked-about star at the award show."<ref name="macho"/>

Reynolds was subsequently in ''[[Fuzz (film)|Fuzz]]'' (1972), reuniting with Welch, and also made a cameo in [[Woody Allen]]'s film ''[[Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (film)|Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)]]'' (1972).  He also returned to the stage, appearing in ''The Rainmaker'' at the Arlington.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Burt Reynolds—Beauty Is Skin-deep, but Talent Will Out|author=Warga, Wayne|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 26, 1972|page=o1}}</ref>

Reynolds had the title role of ''[[Shamus (film)|Shamus]]'' (1973), playing a private detective. The movie drew lackluster reviews, but nonetheless became a box-office success. Reynolds described it as "not a bad film, kind of cute".<ref name="gene"/>

He was in ''[[The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (film)|The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing]]'' (1973), co-featuring [[Sarah Miles]]. The film was a minor success, perhaps best remembered for the scandal of Miles's lover, an aspiring screenwriter, dying by suicide during the filming.<ref name="gene"/>

Reynolds meant to reunite with Boorman in ''[[Zardoz]]'', but fell ill and was replaced by [[Sean Connery]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Laying to Rest Burt-Is-Dying Rumor|author=Haber, Joyce|work=Los Angeles Times|date=May 21, 1973|page=f10}}</ref>

===''White Lightning'' and Southern movies===
Another turning point in Reynolds's career came when he made the light-hearted car-chase film written by William W. Norton, ''[[White Lightning (1973 film)|White Lightning]]'' (1973). Reynolds later called it "the beginning of a whole series of films made in the South, about the South and for the South... you could make back the cost of the negative just in Memphis alone. Anything outside of that was just gravy."<ref name="gene"/> Car-chase movies would be Reynolds's most profitable genre. At the end of 1973, Reynolds was voted into the list of the ten most-popular movie actors in the US at number four. He would stay on that list until 1984.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

He made a sports comedy with [[Robert Aldrich]], ''[[The Longest Yard (1974 film)|The Longest Yard]]'' (1974), which was popular. Aldrich later said, "I think that on occasion, he's a much better actor than he's given credit for. Not always: sometimes he acts like a caricature of himself."<ref name="aldrich"/>

Reynolds starred in two big-budget fiascos: ''[[At Long Last Love (film)|At Long Last Love]]'' (1975), a musical for [[Peter Bogdanovich]], and ''[[Lucky Lady]]'' (1975), with [[Gene Hackman]] and [[Liza Minnelli]].

More popular was another light-hearted car-chase film, ''[[W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings]]'' (1975), and a police drama with Aldrich, ''[[Hustle (1975 film)|Hustle]]'' (1975).<ref name="gene"/> He also had a [[cameo appearance]] in [[Mel Brooks]]'s ''[[Silent Movie (film)|Silent Movie]]'' (1976).

Toward the end of his life, Reynolds revealed that he declined the role of [[Han Solo]] in ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]''.<ref name="Variety Reynolds">{{cite web|last1=Sippell|first1=Margeaux|title=Roles Burt Reynolds Turned Down, From Bond to Solo|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/burt-reynolds-turned-down-roles-bond-solo-1202930436/|website=Variety|date=September 6, 2018|access-date=August 13, 2023|archive-date=January 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120210557/https://variety.com/2018/film/news/burt-reynolds-turned-down-roles-bond-solo-1202930436/|url-status=live}}</ref> Reynolds told ''[[Business Insider]]'' in 2016, "I just didn't want to play that kind of role at the time. ...Now I regret it. I wish I would have done it."<ref name="Business Insider Star Wars">{{cite web|title=Before Harrison Ford, Reynolds was offered the role of Han Solo.|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/iconic-roles-burt-reynolds-turned-down-2018-9#before-harrison-ford-reynolds-was-offered-the-role-of-han-solo-1|website=businessinsider.com|publisher=Business Insider|access-date=August 13, 2023|archive-date=August 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813184628/https://www.businessinsider.com/iconic-roles-burt-reynolds-turned-down-2018-9#before-harrison-ford-reynolds-was-offered-the-role-of-han-solo-1|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Directorial work===
Reynolds made his directorial debut in 1976 with ''[[Gator (film)|Gator]]'', the sequel to ''White Lightning'', written by Norton.<ref name="new">{{Cite news|title='Good Ole Boy' Stars in Dixie Film-Making Boom|author=B. DRUMMOND AYRES Jr|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 1, 1975|page=31}}</ref> "I waited 20 years to do it [directing] and I enjoyed it more than anything I've ever done in this business," he said after filming. "And I happen to think it's what I do best."<ref>{{Cite news|title=Two stars talk about films—and life: 'Public is most important' At the bottom line . . .|first=David|last=Sterritt|work=The Christian Science Monitor|date=February 9, 1976|page=17}}</ref>

He was reunited with Bogdanovich for the comedy ''[[Nickelodeon (film)|Nickelodeon]]'' (1976), which was a commercial disappointment. Aldrich later commented, "Bogdanovich can get him to do the telephone book! Anybody else has to persuade him to do something. He's fascinated by Bogdanovich. I can't understand it."<ref name="aldrich">{{Cite news|title=I CAN'T GET JIMMY CARTER TO SEE MY MOVIE!|author=Aldrich, Robert|work=Film Comment|location=New York|volume=13|issue=2 (Mar/Apr 1977)|pages=46–52}}</ref> He turned down the part of [[Clark Gable]] in ''[[Gable and Lombard]]''.<ref name="end"/>

===''Smokey and the Bandit'' and career peak===
[[file:Red Bandit Jacket.jpg|thumb|upright|Reynolds in 1980 wearing the Bandit jacket used in ''[[Smokey and the Bandit II]]''.]]
Reynolds had the biggest success of his career with the car-chase film ''[[Smokey and the Bandit]]'' (1977), directed by [[Hal Needham]] and co-starring [[Jackie Gleason]], [[Jerry Reed]] and [[Sally Field]].

He followed it with a comedy about football players, ''[[Semi-Tough]]'' (1977), featuring [[Jill Clayburgh]] and [[Kris Kristofferson]], and produced by [[David Merrick]]. He directed his second film ''[[The End (1978 film)|The End]]'' (1978), a dark comedy, playing a role originally written for [[Woody Allen]].<ref>{{Cite news|title='I'm a Star in Spite of My Movies': Burt Reynolds|first=Robert|last=Lindsey|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 15, 1978|page=D11}}</ref>

More popular was a comedy that he made with Needham and Field, ''[[Hooper (film)|Hooper]]'' (1978), in which he played an aging [[stunt performer|stunt man]].

"My ability as an actor gets a little better every time," he said about this time. "I'm very prolific in the amount of films I make—two-and-a-half or three a year—and when I look at any picture I do now compared to ''Deliverance'', it's miles above what I was doing then. But when you're doing films that are somewhat similar to each other, as I've been doing, people take it for granted."<ref name="end">{{Cite news|title='The End' is just the beginning|author1=McBride, Joseph|author2=Riley, Brooks|work=Film Comment|location=New York|volume=14|issue=3 (May/Jun 1978)|pages=16–21}}</ref>

For ''[[California Suite (film)|California Suite]]'' (1978), Reynolds declined a leading role, which went to [[Alan Alda]].<ref name="end"/>

Reynolds said, "I'd rather direct than act. I'd rather do that than anything. It's the second-best sensation I've ever had." He added that [[David Merrick]] had offered to produce two movies that Reynolds would direct without having to act in them.<ref name="end"/>

Reynolds tried a change of pace with ''[[Starting Over (1979 film)|Starting Over]]'' (1979), a romantic comedy, co-starring Jill Clayburgh and [[Candice Bergen]]. The film is co-written and produced by [[James L. Brooks]]. Reynolds plays a jewel thief in ''[[Rough Cut (1980 film)|Rough Cut]]'' (1980) produced by Merrick, who fired and rehired director [[Don Siegel]] during filming.

Reynolds had two huge successes with more car films directed by Needham: ''[[Smokey and the Bandit II]]'' (1980) and ''[[The Cannonball Run]]'' (1981). He starred in [[David Steinberg]]'s film ''[[Paternity (film)|Paternity]]'' (1981) and directed himself in an action film, ''[[Sharky's Machine]]'' (1981).

Reynolds wanted to try a musical again, and agreed to do ''[[The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (film)|The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas]]'' (1982). It was a box-office success, as was ''[[Best Friends (1982 film)|Best Friends]]'' (1982) with [[Goldie Hawn]]. In 1982, Reynolds was voted the most popular actor in the US for the fifth year in a row.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}

Around that time, he stated:
<blockquote>
The only thing I really enjoy is this business, and I think my audience knows that. I've never been able to figure out exactly who that audience is. I know there have been a few pictures even my mother didn't go see, but there's always been an audience for them. I guess it is because they always know that I give it 100 percent, and good or bad, there's going to be quite a lot of me in that picture. That's what they're looking for. I don't have any pretensions about wanting to be Hamlet. I would just like to be the best Burt Reynolds around.<ref name="way">{{Cite news|title=HE'S MAKING MOVIES HIS WAY|author=Norbom, Mary Ann|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=4 Aug 1983|page=D.1}}</ref>
</blockquote>

===Career decline===
James L. Brooks wrote the role of astronaut Garrett Breedlove in ''[[Terms of Endearment]]'' (1983) with Reynolds in mind. However, Reynolds refused the role, and instead starred in another car-chase comedy ''[[Stroker Ace]]'' (1983), directed by Needham. The ''Endearment'' part went to [[Jack Nicholson]], who won an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]. Reynolds said in 1987, "I felt I owed Hal more than I owed Jim," but ''Stroker Ace'' failed.{{r|los}}

Reynolds admitted that refusing the role was a mistake. 
<blockquote>
I regret that one most of all because it was a real acting part.... I wish I would have done it, and thinking back now, it was really a stupid decision, but I made a lot of stupid decisions in that period. It must have been my stupid period.<ref name="Business Insider">{{cite web|last1=Guerrasio|first1=Jason|title=Burt Reynolds was such a screen icon that even the list of roles he turned down is legendary, from James Bond to Han Solo|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/iconic-roles-burt-reynolds-turned-down-2018-9|website=businessinsider.com|publisher=Business Insider|access-date=13 August 2023|archive-date=August 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813184038/https://www.businessinsider.com/iconic-roles-burt-reynolds-turned-down-2018-9|url-status=live}}</ref>
</blockquote>

In 1983, an unnamed producer said that while Reynolds's salaries would not decrease because of ''Stroker Ace''{{'}}s failure, "if two or three more such pictures don't work, people will just stop putting him in that kind of movie and that's the kind of film for which he gets paid the most".<ref name="harmetz19830726">{{Cite news|last=Harmetz|first=Aljean|date=July 26, 1983|title=THE TALK OF HOLLYWOOD; AT THE STUDIOS, STAR BILLING MEANS A PARKING SPACE; The Talk of Hollywood|language=en-US|pages=C11|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/26/movies/talk-hollywood-studios-star-billing-means-parking-space-talk-hollywood.html|access-date=April 11, 2022|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=May 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524142748/http://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/26/movies/talk-hollywood-studios-star-billing-means-parking-space-talk-hollywood.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Reynolds felt that it was a turning point in his career from which he never recovered. "That's where I lost them," he said of his fans.<ref name="los">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-01-04-ca-1803-story.html|title=Burt Reynolds is the Comeback Kid|last=Modderno|first=Craig|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=January 4, 1987|page=L6|access-date=July 2, 2014|archive-date=February 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217173024/http://articles.latimes.com/1987-01-04/entertainment/ca-1803_1_burt-reynolds|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Clint & Sondra & Burt & Loni.jpg|thumb|[[Clint Eastwood]], [[Sondra Locke]], Burt Reynolds and [[Loni Anderson]] at the premiere of ''[[City Heat]]'' (1984).]]

For director [[Blake Edwards]], Reynolds starred in ''[[The Man Who Loved Women (1983 film)|The Man Who Loved Women]]'' (1983), a remake in English of [[François Truffaut]]'s 1977 film ''[[The Man Who Loved Women (1977 film)|L'Homme qui aimait les femmes]]'', but it also failed. In an interview at about this time, he said:
<blockquote>
Getting to the top has turned out to be a hell of a lot more fun than staying there. I've got [[Tom Selleck]] crawling up my back. I'm in my late 40s. I realize I have four or five more years where I can play certain kinds of parts and get away with it. That's why I'm leaning more and more toward directing and producing. I don't want to be stumbling around town doing [[Gabby Hayes]] parts a few years from now. I'd like to pick and choose and maybe go work for a perfume factory like Mr. [[Cary Grant]], and look wonderful with everybody saying, 'Gee, I wish he hadn't retired'.<ref name="way"/>
</blockquote>
''[[Cannonball Run II]]'' (1984), directed by Needham, brought in some money but only half of the original. ''[[City Heat]]'' (1984), which teamed Reynolds and [[Clint Eastwood]], was mildly popular but was considered a major critical and box-office disappointment. Reynolds was injured badly during filming when he was hit in the jaw with a real chair instead of a breakaway prop, causing him excruciating chronic pain as well as a sharp weight loss that resulted in rumors circulating for years that he had [[HIV/AIDS|AIDS]].<ref name="los"/>

Reynolds returned to directing with ''[[Stick (film)|Stick]]'' (1985), from an [[Elmore Leonard]] novel, but it was both a critical and commercial failure. So too were three other action movies that he made: ''[[Heat (1986 film)|Heat]]'' (1986), based on a novel by [[William Goldman]], ''[[Malone (film)|Malone]]'' (1987), and ''[[Rent-a-Cop]]'' (1987) with Liza Minnelli.<ref name="los"/> He later said that he did ''Heat'' and ''Malone'' "because there were so many rumors about me [having AIDS]. I had to get out and be seen."<ref name="rap"/>

In 1987, Reynolds teamed with [[Bert Convy]] to co-produce the [[game show]] ''[[Win, Lose or Draw]]'' for their production company Burt and Bert Productions. The show was based on "sketch pad charades", a game that he often played with his friends in his living room in Jupiter. [[Vicki Lawrence]] hosted the daytime version for [[NBC]], while Convy hosted the syndicated version until 1989, when he quit to host ''[[3rd Degree (game show)|3rd Degree]]'', also created by Reynolds and Convy.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

Reynolds starred in ''[[Switching Channels]]'' (1988), a remake of the comedy ''[[The Front Page]]''. It was a box-office bomb. Even more poorly received was ''[[Physical Evidence]]'' (1989), directed by [[Michael Crichton]]. Reynolds received excellent reviews for the caper comedy ''[[Breaking In (1989 film)|Breaking In]]'' (1989), but the commercial reception was poor.<ref name="sayles">Gerry Molyneaux, ''John Sayles'', Renaissance Books, 2000 p 182</ref> The moderately successful animated film ''[[All Dogs Go to Heaven]]'' (1989), in which Reynolds voiced Charlie B. Barkin, was one of his few successes at the time.<ref name="nbc">{{cite web|author=Arkin|first=Daniel|date=September 6, 2018|title=Burt Reynolds, charismatic star of 1970s blockbusters, dies at 82|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/burt-reynolds-charismatic-star-1970s-blockbusters-dies-82-n907206|access-date=October 2, 2023|work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref>

"When I was doing very well," he said at the time, "I wasn't conscious I was doing very well, but I became very conscious when I wasn't doing very well. The atmosphere changed."<ref name="rap">{{Cite news|title=REYNOLDS RAP|author=Scott, Jay|work=The Globe and Mail|date=June 7, 1987|page=E.1}}</ref>

===Return to TV: ''BL Stryker'' and ''Evening Shade''===
Reynolds returned to television with the [[detective story|detective series]] with ''[[B.L. Stryker]]'' (1989–90). It ran two seasons, during which time Reynolds played a supporting part in ''[[Modern Love (1990 film)|Modern Love]]'' (1990).

Reynolds starred in the situation comedy television series, ''[[Evening Shade]]'' (1990–94) as former [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] player Woodward "Wood" Newton. The series was a considerable success, with 98 episodes over four seasons. This role earned him a [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series]]. Reynolds credited this role for his membership in [[Steeler Nation]].

During his tenure on ''Evening Shade'', Reynolds played in other projects, starting with a cameo in ''[[The Player (1992 film)|The Player]]'' (1992) (playing himself complaining about people in Hollywood).

Reynolds starred in the [[crime film]] ''[[Cop and a Half]]'' (1993).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59496-COP--12?cxt=filmography|title=AFI{{!}}Catalog|website=catalog.afi.com|access-date=December 29, 2019|archive-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727055957/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/59496-COP--12?cxt=filmography|url-status=live}}</ref> On August 25, the [[Randy Travis]] [[television special]] ''[[Wind in the Wire (film)|Wind in the Wire]]'' first aired; Reynolds was among the guests.<ref>{{Cite news|date=August 25, 1993|title=Premiere of 'Trouble with Larry' on Ch. 11 at 7 p.m.|work=The Galveston Daily News}}</ref> On October 15, [[CBS]] first broadcast the television movie ''[[The Man from Left Field]]'', co-featuring [[Reba McEntire]]. Reynolds starred and directed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-the-man-from-left-field-vol-40-no-16/|title=Picks and Pans Review: The Man from Left Field|website=People|language=en|access-date=December 29, 2019|archive-date=July 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190718022020/https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-the-man-from-left-field-vol-40-no-16/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Character actor===
After ''Evening Shade'' ended in 1994, Reynolds played the lead in a horror movie, ''[[The Maddening]]'' (1995). However, he gradually became more of a character actor – he had major support roles in ''[[Citizen Ruth]]'' (1996), an early work from [[Alexander Payne]], and ''[[Striptease (film)|Striptease]]'' (1996) with [[Demi Moore]]. He had to audition for the latter. The movie's producer later said, "To be honest, we were not enthusiastic at first. There was the hair and his reputation, but we were curious."<ref name="deliverance"/> Reynolds got the role and earned some strong reviews.

Reynolds was a supporting actor in ''Frankenstein and Me'' (1996), ''[[Mad Dog Time]]'' (1996), ''[[The Cherokee Kid]]'' (1996), ''[[Meet Wally Sparks]]'' (1997) with [[Rodney Dangerfield]], and ''[[Bean (film)|Bean]]'' (1997) with [[Rowan Atkinson]]. He had the lead in ''[[Raven (1996 film)|Raven]]'' (1996), a [[straight-to-video]] action movie. About this time he claimed he was depleted financially, having spent $13 million.<ref name="deliverance">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/16/magazine/deliverance.html|title=Deliverance|first=Lynn|last=Hirschberg|work=[[The New York Times Magazine]]|date=June 16, 1996|access-date=August 28, 2018|archive-date=August 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828134427/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/16/magazine/deliverance.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1996, Reynolds' agent said "Regarding Burt, there's a split between the executives in town who are under 40 and those who are over 40. The younger executives are more open to Burt because they grew up loving ''Deliverance''. But the older executives remember how crazy he was, and they are less receptive."<ref name="deliverance"/> He also hosted segments for the Encore Action premium cable network during the late 1990s and 2000s.

===''Boogie Nights'' and career revival===
[[file:Burt-Reynolds 2011-04-15 photoby Adam-Bielawski.jpg|thumb|upright|Reynolds in 2011.]]
Reynolds played a porn film director in the successful film ''[[Boogie Nights]]'' (1997), which was considered a comeback role for him. He received 12 acting awards and three nominations for the role, including a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]], Reynolds' first and only nomination for the award. Despite the acclaim, Reynolds disliked working on the film, particularly not getting along with writer-director [[Paul Thomas Anderson]], and reportedly dismissed his agent for recommending it.<ref name="WaPo">{{cite news|last1=Rao|first1=Sonia|title=Burt Reynolds hated 'Boogie Nights' so much that he fired his agent afterward|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/09/06/burt-reynolds-hated-boogie-nights-so-much-that-he-fired-his-agent-afterward/|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=August 15, 2023|archive-date=March 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307140123/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/09/06/burt-reynolds-hated-boogie-nights-so-much-that-he-fired-his-agent-afterward/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Boogie Nights'' co-star [[William H. Macy]] stated in an interview that Reynolds was clueless about the film and had become out of touch with the film industry due to his age.<ref name="IndieWire">{{cite web|last1=Bergeson|first1=Samantha|title=William H. Macy: Burt Reynolds Was 'Clueless' Making Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Boogie Nights'|url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/william-h-macy-burt-reynolds-clueless-boogie-nights-1234769943/|website=IndieWire|date=October 6, 2022|access-date=August 15, 2023|archive-date=August 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815170817/https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/william-h-macy-burt-reynolds-clueless-boogie-nights-1234769943/|url-status=live}}</ref> 

Reynolds was offered a role in Anderson's third film, ''[[Magnolia (film)|Magnolia]]'' (1999), but he declined it.<ref name="Rosen" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Ellis-Petersen|first=Hannah|title=Burt Reynolds: 'I regret turning down Greta Garbo'|date=December 3, 2015|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/dec/03/burt-reynolds-guardian-live-interview-hate-paul-thomas-anderson|access-date=March 20, 2017|archive-date=March 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310104448/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/dec/03/burt-reynolds-guardian-live-interview-hate-paul-thomas-anderson|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2012, he clarified he did not hate ''Boogie Nights'' itself and called it "extraordinary", saying his opinion of the film has nothing to do with his relationship with Anderson.<ref>{{Citation|last=Mandatory|title=Deliverance Interviews (Ronny Cox, Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds & Ned Beatty)|date=July 11, 2012|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PnqGa3ffq4I| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211103/PnqGa3ffq4I| archive-date=November 3, 2021 | url-status=live|access-date=March 1, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In his second autobiography, ''But Enough About Me'' (2015), Reynolds attempted to come to terms with his difficult nature. In a 2015 ''[[GQ]]'' interview, he said that his problem with Anderson was a matter of their differing personalities:<ref name="GQ 2015">{{cite web|last1=Hainey|first1=Michael|title=Burt Reynolds On Toupees, Trump, and Why He'd Never Work with Paul Thomas Anderson Again|url=https://www.gq.com/story/burt-reynolds-trump-toupee-paul-thomas-anderson|website=gq.com|date=December 2015|publisher=Gentleman's Quarterly|access-date=August 15, 2023|archive-date=August 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815174950/https://www.gq.com/story/burt-reynolds-trump-toupee-paul-thomas-anderson|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{blockquote|text=I think mostly because he was young and full of himself. Every shot we did, it was like the first time [that shot had ever been done]. I remember the first shot we did in ''Boogie Nights'', where I drive the car to Grauman's Theater. After he said, "Isn't that amazing?" And I named five pictures that had the same kind of shot. It wasn't original. But if you have to steal, steal from the best.}}
Despite his Oscar nomination for ''Boogie Nights'' and a new appreciation of his acting talent by [[movie critics]], Reynolds failed to return to the [[A list]]; while work was plentiful, prestige projects were lacking.<ref name="The Dissolve">{{cite web|last1=Tobias|first1=Scott|title=Boogie Nights gave Burt Reynolds a comeback that didn't stick|url=https://thedissolve.com/features/departures/560-boogie-nights-gave-burt-reynolds-a-comeback-that-d/|website=thedissolve.com|publisher=The Dissolve|access-date=August 15, 2023|archive-date=May 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519102338/https://thedissolve.com/features/departures/560-boogie-nights-gave-burt-reynolds-a-comeback-that-d/|url-status=live}}</ref>

He had the lead in ''[[Big City Blues (1997 film)|Big City Blues]]'' (1997) and supporting roles in ''[[Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms]]'' (1998) and ''[[Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business]]'' (1998).

Reynolds returned to directing with ''[[Hard Time (film)|Hard Time]]'' (1998), an action TV movie featuring himself. It resulted in two sequels, which he did not direct, ''[[Hard Time: The Premonition]]'' (1999) and ''[[Hard Time: Hostage Hotel]]'' (1999) (the latter directed by [[Hal Needham]]).

He featured in the straight-to-video ''[[The Hunter's Moon (film)|The Hunter's Moon]]'' (1999), ''Stringer'' (1999), and ''Waterproof'' (2000). He played supporting roles in ''[[Pups (film)|Pups]]'' (1999) and ''[[Mystery, Alaska]]'' (1999), and had the lead in ''[[The Crew (2000 film)|The Crew]]'' (2000) alongside [[Richard Dreyfuss]].

Reynolds directed ''[[The Last Producer]]'' (2000), featuring himself, and was second-billed in [[Renny Harlin]]'s ''[[Driven (2001 film)|Driven]]'' (2001), featuring [[Sylvester Stallone]]. He was also in ''[[Tempted (film)|Tempted]]'' (2001), ''[[Hotel (2001 film)|Hotel]]'' (2001) (directed by [[Mike Figgis]]), and ''[[The Hollywood Sign (film)|The Hollywood Sign]]'' (2001).

He voiced [[List of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City characters#Avery Carrington|Avery Carrington]] in ''[[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City]]'', released in 2002.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2012/03/ray-liotta-vice-city/|title=Going Hollywood Wasn't Easy for Grand Theft Auto|first=Chris|last=Kohler|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=March 28, 2012|access-date=March 5, 2017|archive-date=December 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222142859/https://www.wired.com/2012/03/ray-liotta-vice-city/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Reynolds was [[Billing (performing arts)|top-billed]] in ''[[Snapshots (2002 film)|Snapshots]]'' with [[Julie Christie]], an $11 million Anglo-Dutch-American picture that failed to find a wide release. He also featured in ''[[Time of the Wolf (2002 film)|Time of the Wolf]]'' (2002) and ''[[Hard Ground]]'' (2003), and had supporting roles in ''Johnson County War'' (2002) with [[Tom Berenger]], and ''[[Miss Lettie and Me]]'' (2003) with [[Mary Tyler Moore]].

He was in a series of supporting roles that referred to earlier performances: ''[[Without a Paddle]]'' (2004), a riff on his role in ''Deliverance'', ''[[The Longest Yard (2005 film)|The Longest Yard]]'' (2005), a remake of his 1974 success with [[Adam Sandler]] playing Reynolds' old role (while Reynolds played the [[Michael Conrad]] part from the original); and ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard (film)|The Dukes of Hazzard]]'' (2005) as [[Boss Hogg]] as a reference to his performances in 1970s car-chase movies.<ref>Kane, M. (May 22, 2005). "Keep On Truckin' – Burt Reynolds is still the hottest man in Hollywood (No, really). Reynolds Rolls – The superstud of the '70s is back on top with eight films this year." ''New York Post''.</ref>

Reynolds continued to play lead roles in movies such as ''[[Cloud 9 (2006 film)|Cloud 9]]'' (2006), ''[[Forget About It (film)|Forget About It]]'' (2006), ''[[Deal (2008 film)|Deal]]'' (2008), and ''[[A Bunch of Amateurs]]'' (2008), and supporting parts in ''[[End Game (2006 film)|End Game]]'' (2006), ''[[Grilled (film)|Grilled]]'' (2006), ''[[Broken Bridges]]'' (2006), ''[[In the Name of the King]]'' (2007), ''[[Not Another Not Another Movie]]'' (2011), and ''[[Reel Love (2011 film)|Reel Love]]'' (2011).

He had a guest role in an episode of ''[[Burn Notice]]'', "Past & Future Tense" (2010).

Reynolds voiced himself as the Mayor of Steelport in ''[[Saints Row: The Third]]'', released in 2011. Players can recruit Reynolds as a "homie", depending on their in-game choices.

Reynolds also voiced himself in the animated series ''[[Archer (2009 TV series)|Archer]]'', in the episode "The Man from Jupiter" (2012). The character of Sterling Archer was largely inspired by Burt Reynolds.

He was top billed in ''Category 5'' (2014) and ''[[An Innocent Kiss|Elbow Grease]]'' (2016) and could be seen in key roles in ''[[Pocket Listing (film)|Pocket Listing]]'' (2016), and ''Hollow Creek'' (2015). He returned to a regular role on TV in ''Hitting the Breaks'' (2016) but it only ran for ten episodes. He was in ''Apple of My Eye'' (2016) and took the lead in ''[[The Last Movie Star]]'' (2017).

In May 2018, Reynolds joined the cast of [[Quentin Tarantino]]'s movie ''[[Once Upon a Time in Hollywood]]'' as [[George Spahn]] (an eighty year old blind man who rented out his ranch to [[Charles Manson]]), but he died before filming his scenes and was replaced by [[Bruce Dern]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Heath|first=Paul|title=Burt Reynolds Is In Talks To Join Quentin Tarantino's Next|website=The Hollywood News|date=May 9, 2018|url=http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/2018/05/09/burt-reynolds-is-in-talks-to-join-quentin-tarantinos-next/|access-date=September 6, 2018|archive-date=September 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909235015/http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/2018/05/09/burt-reynolds-is-in-talks-to-join-quentin-tarantinos-next/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Kroll|first=Justin|title=Burt Reynolds Did Not Shoot His Scenes in Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'|website=Variety|date=September 6, 2018|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/burt-reynolds-dead-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-1202930623/|access-date=September 6, 2018|archive-date=September 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907033856/https://variety.com/2018/film/news/burt-reynolds-dead-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-1202930623/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Nordine|first=Michael|title=Bruce Dern Replaces Burt Reynolds in Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'|website=IndieWire|date=September 27, 2018|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/09/bruce-dern-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-burt-reynolds-1202007586/|access-date=September 28, 2018}}</ref>

===Posthumous releases===
Reynolds appeared posthumously in the 2019 movie ''[[An Innocent Kiss]]'' as well as in the 2020 movie ''[[Defining Moments (film)|Defining Moments]]'', which includes his final performance.

===Other ventures===
Reynolds was credited as the author of a 1972 mass market [[paperback book]] ''Hot Line: The Letters I Get...And Write!'' that featured semi-nude "[[beefcake]]" photos of the actor, playing up his image as a male sex symbol.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Reynolds|first1=Burt|title=Hot Line: The Letters I Get...And Write!|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18105109-hot-line|website=goodreads.com|publisher=Good Reads|access-date=August 13, 2023|archive-date=May 19, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240519102339/https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18105109-hot-line|url-status=live}}</ref> He also published two autobiographies, ''My Life'' in 1994 and ''But Enough About Me'' in 2015.

Reynolds co-authored the 1997 children's book, ''Barkley Unleashed: A Pirate's Tail'', a "whimsical tale [that] illustrates the importance of perseverance, the wonders of friendship and the power of imagination".<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/Barkley-Unleashed-A-Pirates-Tail/dp/0787110272 "Barkley Unleashed: A Pirate's Tail"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305111114/http://www.amazon.com/Barkley-Unleashed-A-Pirates-Tail/dp/0787110272 |date=March 5, 2016 }}, Amazon.</ref>

In 1973, Reynolds released the country/easy listening album ''[[Ask Me What I Am]]''. He also sang in two movie musicals: ''[[At Long Last Love]]'' (1975) and ''[[The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (film)|The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas]]'' (1982).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20082781,00.html|title=Dolly Does Hollywood!|first=Peter|last=Travers|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=August 2, 1982|access-date=May 15, 2014|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220601/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20082781,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>