Screen Icon: Burt Reynolds' Best Roles In Memoriam

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Burt Reynolds

American actor and director, Burt Reynolds, would get his start in the 1960s and 70s. Born February 11, 1936, Reynolds' earliest roles would come in several television series like Riverboat and this next hit Western series...

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'Gunsmoke'

Burt Reynolds would first begin to establish himself as a sex symbol starring as "Quint Asper" in the popular Western series, Gunsmoke, from 1962 to 1965. Reynolds continued to land spots on television in his early career with series like Hawk and Dan August.

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'Deliverance'

Burt Reynolds' big breakthrough film role would come in 1972 when he was cast as "Lewis Medlock" in the thriller, Deliverance. Young, talented, and handsome there would be no stopping Burt from there!

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'White Lightning'

Following his breakthrough, Burt Reynolds would prove himself to be unstoppable and continued to land lead roles in box office hits like 1973's White Lightning.

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'The Longest Yard'

Perhaps one of the best-remembered roles of Reynolds' career is Burt as "Paul Crewe" in 1974's The Longest Yard. The sports comedy once again put Reynolds in the lead role and would top the box office.

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'Smokey and the Bandit'

The peak of Burt Reynolds' career would come in 1977 with Smokey and the Bandit. The action packed film was one of the biggest hits of his career and its sequel, Smokey and the Bandit II, would also be successful.

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'Hooper'

While Reynolds' films mostly stuck to the same genre, it would allow him to continuously perfect his craft over the years. Starring in another car comedy, Hooper (1978), Burt Reynolds stunned audiences and critics alike playing the role of a stuntman.

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'The Cannonball Run'

Yet another car film Burt Reynolds made into a huge success was 1981's The Cannonball Run and its 1984 sequel. From 1978 to 1982, Reynolds became the number one box office star in the world landing himself on the Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll.

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'Sharky's Machine'

In addition to acting, Burt Reynolds also proved himself to be a capable director over the years. One hit film he both starred in and directed was 1981's Sharky's Machine.

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'Evening Shade'

While Burt Reynolds would see his career decline in the second half of the 1980s, he would make his television comeback in the 1990s when he began starring as "Woodward Newton" on Evening Shade. The series was a huge success, running for four seasons and earning Reynolds an Emmy Award.

Burt Reynolds', known for films like The Longest Yard and Deliverance, legacy continues to live on in Hollywood years after his passing. An icon of American culture, Reynolds rose to fame in the 1960s and 70s and would eventually become one of the world's biggest box office stars. Join us in taking a look back at the late actor's best roles, and Burt Reynolds in The Longest Yard.

Burt Reynolds The Longest Yard Best Roles

Burt Reynolds in The Longest Yard is perhaps one of the best-remembered roles of Reynolds' career. The sports comedy put Reynolds in the lead role as "Paul Crewe" and would top the box office charts.