- BURT REYNOLDS SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT LAUGH PROFESSIONAL
- BURT REYNOLDS SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT LAUGH SERIES
The Florida State Drama Award included a scholarship to the Hyde Park Playhouse, a summer stock theater, in Hyde Park, New York.
In his autobiography, Reynolds refers to Duncan as his mentor and the most influential person in his life. He cast Reynolds in the lead role based on having heard Reynolds read Shakespeare in class, leading to Reynolds winning the 1956 Florida State Drama Award for his performance. Duncan pushed Reynolds into trying out for a play he was producing, Outward Bound. In his first term at PBJC, Reynolds was in an English class taught by Watson B. To keep up with his studies, he began taking classes at Palm Beach Junior College (PBJC) in neighboring Lake Park.
BURT REYNOLDS SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT LAUGH PROFESSIONAL
While at Florida State, Reynolds roomed with college football broadcaster and analyst Lee Corso, and also became a brother of the Phi Delta Thetafraternity. He hoped to be named to All-American teams and have a career in professional football, but he suffered a knee injury in the first game of his sophomore season, and later that year he lost his spleen and injured his other knee as a result of a car accident. These injuries hampered Reynolds' abilities on the field, and after being beaten in coverage for the game-winning touchdown in a 7-0 loss to North Carolina State on October 12, 1957, he decided to give up football.Įnding his college football career, Reynolds thought of becoming a police officer, but his father suggested he finish college and become a parole officer. His father became Chief of Police of Riviera Beach, which is adjacent to the north side of West Palm Beach, Florida.ĭuring 10th grade at Palm Beach High School, Reynolds was named First Team All State and All Southern as a fullback, and received multiple scholarship offers. After graduating from Palm Beach High, he attended Florida State University on a football scholarship and played halfback. When Reynolds' father was sent to Europe, the family moved to Lake City, Michigan, where his mother had been raised. In 1946, the family moved to Riviera Beach, Florida. Reynolds, his mother, and his sister joined his father at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and lived there for two years. During his career, Reynolds often claimed to have been born in Waycross, Georgia, but confirmed in 2015 that he was actually born in Lansing, Michigan. He was born on February 11, 1936, and in his autobiography stated that Lansing is where his family lived when his father was drafted into the United States Army.
He had Dutch, English, Scots-Irish, and Scottish ancestry, and is also said to have had Cherokee roots.
was the son of Harriette Fernette "Fern" ( née Miller 1902–1992) and Burton Milo Reynolds (1906–2002). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actorfor his performance in Boogie Nights (1997). Reynolds played the leading role in a number of subsequent box office hits, such as The Longest Yard (1974), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Semi-Tough (1977), Hooper(1978), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), The Cannonball Run(1981) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982).Īfter a few box office failures, Reynolds returned to television, starring in the sitcom Evening Shade (1990–1994). His breakout film role was as Lewis Medlock in Deliverance(1972).
BURT REYNOLDS SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT LAUGH SERIES
He first rose to prominence starring in television series such as Gunsmoke (1962–1965), Hawk (1966), and Dan August(1970–1971). Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (Febru– September 6, 2018) was an American actor, director and producer.