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Burt Reynolds in Deliverance
Photo: Warner Bros
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Seventies screen heartthrob Burt Reynolds has died at the age of 82.
The star - whose career included hits Smokey And The Bandit and its sequel, Deliverance, Boogie Nights and The Longest Yard, died in Florida, from a heart attack, according to US outlets.
The Georgia-born star worked on Broadway before making his way to the big screen via smaller then bigger roles on TV, including Perry Mason and the Twilight Zone, before featuring in three series of Gun Smoke.
Most of his big-screen hits came in the Seventies, including the controversial Deliverance, as well as Semi-Tough and Hustle. It wasn't until 1998, however, that he would get an Oscar nod, nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights, losing out to Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting.
Arnold Schwarzenegger led the tributes on Twitter. He wrote: "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."
The Shield star Michael Chiklis - who credited Reynolds with saving his career by casting him in B L Stryker after his debut misfire Wired - wrote: "I owe my career, at least in part, to the great Burt Reynolds. Heartbroken to learn of his passing. He was one of a kind. A fun loving, charismatic talent who did many good deeds quietly, without personal expectation but rather out of the kindness of his extraordinary heart. RIP."
Although he never regained the stardom he had in the Seventies - and turned down meaty roles including James Bond and Han Solo - Reynolds kept working, including guest roles on Burn Notice and The X Files. His most recent film is Shadow Fighter, with IMDB showing that filming had also been completed on Steven Wallis's comedy Defining Moments. He had also been set to appear in Quentin Tarantino's Once In Hollywood.
He is survived by his adopted son Quinton, from his second marriage to actress Loni Anderson.
