Burt Reynolds Reportedly Died of Heart Attack

Actor Burt Reynolds passed away on Thursday, Sept. 6 at age 82, and the Daily Mail reports his cause of death was a heart attack.

Reynolds reportedly went into cardiac arrest at a hospital in Florida before passing away. His family was reportedly by his side.

The actor was known for roles in movies like Smokey and the Bandit, Boogie Nights, Deliverance and The Longest Yard, creating a career that spanned decades. Boogie Nights saw him win a Golden Globe and earn an Oscar nomination for his turn as a porn producer.

Reynolds previously underwent a heart bypass operation in 2010 at a hospital in Florida, with his manager telling CNN at the time that Reynolds “has a great motor with brand new pipes.”

“All reports that are implying he was rushed to a hospital are completely untrue, as he has had this operation scheduled for over a month,” Erik Kritzer added.

Ahead of his death, Reynolds was working on Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which is slated for release in July 2019.

Along with his iconic roles, Reynolds was also known for the parts he didn’t take, including Han Solo in Star Wars and Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment and John McClane in Die Hard, roles which went to Harrison Ford, Jack Nicholson and Bruce Willis, respectively, and saw all three actors score major success from the films.

He also turned down the role of Edward in Pretty Woman, which went to Richard Gere, and decided not to play Batman on television in the ’60s.

“I didn’t open myself to new writers or risky parts because I wasn’t interested in challenging myself as an actor. I was interested in having a good time,” Reynolds explained in his 2015 memoir, But Enough About Me. “As a result, I missed a lot of opportunities to show I could play serious roles. By the time I finally woke up and tried to get it right, nobody would give me a chance.”

Despite turning down those roles, Reynolds was proud of the work he did, naming Deliverance as his favorite movie he had appeared in.

“If I had to put only one of my movies in a time capsule, it would be Deliverance,” he wrote. “I don’t know if it’s the best acting I’ve done, but it’s the best movie I’ve ever been in. It proved I could act, not only to the public but me.”

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures