Burt Reynolds’ Life in Pictures

Burt Reynolds passed away on Sept. 6, leaving behind a decades-long career that saw the actor star on both the big and small screen, winning numerous accolades for his work.

Reynolds was born in 1936 in Lansing, Michigan, going to college in Florida before heading to Hollywood to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. He succeeded in that quest, making a name for himself in film as well as for his private life.

Scroll through to remember Reynolds’ life in photos.

Athletic beginnings

Reynolds played football and schools and received multiple scholarship offers, ultimately attending Florida State University. After a knee injury, he began acting after an English teacher pushed him to tryout for a play, Outward Bound, in which Reynolds nabbed a role. He eventually made his way to Hollywood.

Small-screen fame

Reynolds first acted on television in the ’50s before scoring a role on the show Gunsmoke (below). He appeared in over 50 episodes as Quint, using that exposure to nab film roles as well as other television appearances on shows including Hawk and Dan August.

‘Deliverance’

Reynolds’ career took off after he starred as Lewis Medlock in the 1972 thriller. Earlier this year, Reynolds appeared on Conan and told host Conan O’Brien that Deliverance is his most-quoted film, thanks to one line.

“I’ll be driving sometimes in the car, and some guy will pull up beside me and say, ‘You got a mighty pretty mouth,’” the actor said.

Love life

Reynolds was married to English actress Judy Carne from 1963-1965. He later dated singer Dinah Shore for years, eventually embarking on a five-year on-again-off-again romance with Sally Fields.

“I miss her terribly,” Reynolds told Vanity Fair of Fields in December 2015. “Even now, it’s hard on me. I don’t know why I was so stupid. Men are like that, you know. You find the perfect person, and then you do everything you can to screw it up.”

Football roots

The actor returned to his athletic roots with his role in 1974’s The Longest Yard, playing a former quarterback-turned prison inmate who organizes a team of fellow inmates to play football against a team of prison guards. He later appeared in the 2005 remake of the film.

On screen

Other notable film roles for Reynolds included turns in White Lightning, Lucky Lady, Impasse, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Heat, All Dogs Go to Heaven, The Dukes of Hazzard and Smokey and the Bandit, seen below.

Marriage #2

Anderson was Reynolds’ second wife, and the pair tied the knot in 1988 after dating for about six years. The two ultimately filed for divorce five years later, though the couple remained entangled in a financial battle for over 20 years after the fact.

‘Boogie Nights’

His turn as a porn director in the 1997 film earned Reynolds critical acclaim, with the actor winning a Golden Globe for the role and earning an Oscar nomination. Despite that, he reportedly hated his role in the movie, wasn’t a fan of the film and even claimed to have never seen the whole thing.

Dad life

Reynolds and Anderson adopted a son named Quinton, who is now 30. The two went through a period of estrangement after Reynolds and Anderson’s divorce, but grew closer before Reynolds’ death.

“He is my greatest achievement,” Reynolds told Closer Weekly of his son. “He’s a wonderful young man and is now working as a camera assistant in Hollywood. He never asked for any help with his career, he did it all himself, and I’m so proud of him. I love him very much.”