Burt Reynolds may have passed away, but the legendary actor left a legacy behind that is full of iconic movie roles.
Having first stated acting in the 1950s, Reynolds went on to enjoy an illustrious career full of decades of film and TV projects.
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He began by appearing in stage productions, which led to television role opportunities, and then finally broke into movies in the 1960s.
Below, we have put together a list of some of the most recognizable films that Reynolds ever starred in.
Scroll down to read the list and let us know in the comments what your favorite Burt Reynolds movie is!
Smokey and the Bandit
Released:ย May 19, 1977
Also starring:ย Sally Field,ย Jerry Reed,ย Jackie Gleason,ย Mike Henry, and Pat McCormick.
Easily the most iconic of all of Reynolds’ film roles was when he played Bo “Bandit”ย Darvilleย inย Smokey and the Bandit.
Not only did it cement the actor’s place in Hollywood as a star for the ages, but the film has goneย on to become an integral part of pop-culture cinema.
Deliverance
Released: July 30, 1972
Also starring:ย Jon Voight, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox.
Deliverance is one of the most notorious films in all of mainstream cinema, mostly for its grim nature, which was a shocking element to moviegoers in the early ’70s.
Starring as one of the tormented outdoorsmen, this film was a breakthrough role for Reynolds, who would go on to exceed A-list stardom.
Boogie Nights
Released: October 10, 1997
Also starring:ย Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Heather Graham.
Boogie Nights is one of few films’ whose fame is only rivaledย by its own near-equal infamy.
Reynolds role as adult-film director Jack Hornerย was so wel -done that to this day many consider it a “comeback” film for the star, though the actor famously doesn’t like the film.
White Lightning
Released:ย August 8, 1973
Also starring:ย Jennifer Billingsley,ย Ned Beatty,ย Bo Hopkins,ย Matt Clark, andย Louise Latham.
Released the year after Deliverance โ and re-teaming Reynolds with his co-star from that film, Ned Beattyย โ White Lightning was a movie that proved to audiences Reynolds was a full-fledgedย action star.
Interestingly, this film also featured actressย Laura Dernย in an uncredited role. Sheย was only about six years old at the time.
The Longest Yard
Released:ย August 30, 1974
Also starring:ย Eddie Albert,ย Ed Lauter,ย Michael Conrad,ย James Hampton, andย Bernadette Peters.
The Longest Yard was a sports film that gave Reynolds a chance to relive his glory days as aย halfback for FSU.
It was such a well-loved film that it spawned a remake starring Adam Sandlerย that Reynolds also appeared in.
The Cannonball Run
Released: June 19, 1981
Also Starring:ย Roger Moore, Dom DeLuise, Farrah Fawcett,ย Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., andย Jackie Chan.
Cannonball Run was not one of Reynolds’ more “critically acclaimed” films by any means.
It did, however, give the actor an opportunity to be the lead in an outlandish comedy film designed solely to make the audience chuckle.
The Dukes of Hazzard
Released:ย August 5, 2005
Also starring:ย Johnny Knoxville,ย Seann William Scott, Jessica Simpson, Willie Nelson, David Koechner, andย M. C. Gainey.
While there are likely few people who would call the Dukes of Hazzardย film remake “iconic,” Reynolds’ role in the film undeniably was.
Taking on the role of Boss Hoggย (Jefferson Davis ‘J.D.’ Hogg)ย โ made famous byย Sorrell Bookeย in the classic series โ no one could have looked better in that iconic white suit and cowboy hat than Reynolds did.
All Dogs Go to Heaven
Released:ย November 17, 1989
Also starring:ย Dom DeLuise,ย Judith Barsi,ย Vic Tayback,ย Charles Nelson Reilly, andย Loni Anderson.
He may not “appeared” inย All Dogs Go to Heaven, but Reynolds’ swagger and energy were felt by families all around the world through his voicing ofย Charlie B. Barkin.
Notably, the film co-stared his then-wife, actressย Loni Anderson.
Cop and a Half
Released: April 2, 1993
Also Starring:ย Norman D. Golden II, Ruby Dee,ย Holland Taylor, andย Ray Sharkey.
While All Dogs Go To Heaven was certainlyย Reynolds’ greatest contributionย to the family-film genre, there is much to be said forย Cop and a Half.
Playing a grizzled cop who is stuck working with a school kidย who witnessed a murder, Reynolds and his young co-star โย Norman D. Golden II โ serve up lots of laughs and some incredibly quotableย lines.
While the film was mostly panned by critics, iconic film critic Roger Ebert gave it 3 stars out of 4.
“There isn’t much that’s original in Cop and a Half,” Ebert said in his critique, “but there’s a lot that’s entertaining, and there’s a winning performance by a young man with a big name, Norman D. Golden II, who plays little Devon Butler, a kid who dreams of someday wearing the shield.”