Burt Reynolds Net Worth

Burt Reynolds's Quotes

• [on Paul Thomas Anderson] Most filmmakers today have no sense of the history of our business, but he knows every shot John Ford made. And he doesn't lack for confidence. He really knew which shots he wanted to make. I remember the first shot in Boogie Nights (1997), which is one of the longest shots in history. And I, being the irascible old type I am sometimes, said, 'Have you timed this? Is this longer than Citizen Kane (1941) ?' And he said, 'Oh, yes. It's three seconds longer'."
• [on young filmmakers] Having done 300 television shows and almost 60 movies, I'm tired of having guys who are younger than some sandwiches I've had telling me to turn left at the couch. There's no appreciation of actors and no sense of history.
• [on Sally Field] I haven't seen her in 10 years and I'd like to very much. Because I'd like to tell her in person what I didn't know then. That is, how incredibly unselfish she was in terms of the time she spent with me. You know, inside that little body of hers is one of the strongest people I've ever met. What I didn't ever appreciate enough, until I had Quinton, was what it means to have a child and say to somebody else, "I'll be with you", away from my child. And now I know what an incredible gift that was.
• [on Bill McKinney, with whom he worked in Deliverance (1972)] I thought the [he] was a little bent. I used to get up at five in the morning and see him running nude through the golf course while the sprinklers watered the grass. A strange dude, he moved to L.A. after "Deliverance" and worked in a lot of pictures of Clint Eastwood. He always played sickos, but he played them well. With my dark sense of humor, I was kind of amused by him. But as we got closer to the rape scene, I caught him staring at Ned Beatty in an odd, unnerving way. Ned would see it, and look away.
• [on the rape scene in Deliverance (1972)] The day before we shot the scene I noticed [Bill McKinney] hovering beside Ned [Ned Beatty] and sat down between them. I wanted him to see I was Ned's friend. No different than in the script. Then I asked him how he planned to handle the rape scene. McKinney turned out to be a pretty good guy who just took "The Method" way too far. Staring straight at Ned, he whispered, "I've always wanted to try that. Always have." Ned shouted, "John! Oh, John!". In his brilliance, [John Boorman] reassured Ned but also brought in several additional cameras, knowing Ned wasn't going to give him a second, third or fourth take. Ned was only going to do the brutal scene once. When it came down to shooting it, [Herbert 'Cowboy' Coward] and McKinney were hands-down brilliant. Scared the shit out of everybody who saw the movie. People crawled out of the theater. None of that creepy "squeal, piggy, piggy" stuff was in the script. But McKinney, I swear to God, really wanted to hump Ned. And I think he was going to. He had it up and he was going to bang him. It's the first and only time I have ever seen camera operators turn their heads away. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. I ran into the scene, dove on McKinney, and pulled him off. Boorman, hot on my tracks, helped hold him down. Ned, who was crying from both rage and fear, found a big stick and started beating him on the head. Half a dozen guys grabbed Ned and pulled him away. We separated the two of them and let things cool off.

Interesting Facts about Burt Reynolds

1. In 1967 he tested for a role in Rosemary's Baby (1968), but Roman Polanski ended up casting John Cassavetes for the part.
2. When Francis Ford Coppola decided to make a project about the life of the famous Preston Tucker, he wanted Reynolds to play Tucker. They had many discussions about the movie and made plans, but the film did not get made until 1988, this time with Jeff Bridges in the role. Reynolds only got Lewis Medlock's role in Deliverance (1972) after the stars who were originally chosen to play the lead--including Marlon Brando, Henry Fonda and James Stewart--declined the part, after they heard about the risks of the Chattooga River.
3. Had an adopted son, Quinton A. Reynolds (aka Quinton Anderson Reynolds, born August 31, 1988), with former wife Loni Anderson.
4. In January 1998 he became engaged to former waitress Pam Seals.
5. His working relationship with Paul Thomas Anderson during the making of Boogie Nights (1997) was very difficult and he hated the film so much that he fired his agent immediately after viewing a screening. This was before the critical raves after the New York Film Festival occurred. He was then convinced by Anderson to promote the film on a radio tour and was further enraged at Anderson's behavior (constantly not letting Reynolds speak). This was the final straw for Reynolds, who, after a week or so of promoting the film, tried to punch Anderson in the face and stopped promoting the film. Reynolds refused to participate in Anderson's next project, Magnolia (1999).
6. Attended Florida State University on a football scholarship, but only played in two seasons. He was a star running back. His college football career was ended by a knee injury.
7. Was the original choice to play Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment (1983). Although he loved the script, he had already agreed to star in Stroker Ace (1983), so he turned down the role. As a result, the role went to Jack Nicholson, who eventually won an Oscar for it. Reynolds later commented that this was one of his most terrible mistakes.
8. During the mid-'80s he tried to make a comeback with Heat (1986), written by William Goldman. He hoped the movie, directed by Robert Altman, would mark a new phase in his career. Unfortunately, Altman had an altercation with producer Elliott Kastner and left the project. The movie ended up being a box-office failure.
9. Was a 1958 graduate of Florida State University.
10. Mentioned in the theme song of the pilot version (4 Nov 1981) of the 1980s TV hit The Fall Guy (1981).
11. Was the first actor ever asked to guest-host The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962). Prior to Reynolds, only comedians had been invited. His first (?) guest was his ex-wife Judy Carne, who he hadn't spoken to in over six years after a very bitter divorce.
12. He bared almost all for a Cosmopolitan centerfold in 1972.
13. Was seriously involved with Inger Stevens shortly before her suicide in 1970. He refused to discuss the relationship.
14. Member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
15. Had a relationship with Sally Field for many years, but she refused his numerous proposals, and they eventually broke up. He said that she was a positive influence on him and, in fact, was the love of his life.
16. Turned down the role of John McClane in Die Hard (1988). It went to Bruce Willis.
17. Graduate of Palm Beach High School, Palm Beach, FL, Class of 1954.
18. Hit #88 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1980 with the song "Let's Do Something Cheap and Superficial", from the film Smokey and the Bandit Ride Again (1980).
19. Had a long-term relationship with Dinah Shore in the early 1970s. She was 20 years his senior. This age difference eventually led to their amicably splitting up, as Reynolds wanted to be a father.
20. He was of mainly English heritage, with smaller amounts of German, Ulster-Scots, Scottish, and Dutch ancestry. He was also said to have Italian and Cherokee Native American roots, although this has never been verified.