Burt Reynolds after he posed naked in the April 1972 issue of "Cosmopolitan". Reynolds said he did it for "a kick. I have a strange sense of humor" and because he knew he had "Deliverance" coming out. He later expressed regret for posing for Cosmopolitan. "Deliverance" was a huge commercial and critical success and, along with the talk show appearances, helped establish Reynolds as a star. "The night of the Academy Awards, I counted a half-dozen Burt Reynolds jokes," he later said. "I had become a household name, the most talked-about star at the award show." He was then in "Fuzz" (1972),
Burt Reynolds the character. Reynolds played the title character in police drama "Dan August" (1970–71), produced by Quinn Martin. The series was given a full-season order of 26 episodes based on the reputation of Martin and Reynolds but struggled in the ratings against "Hawaii 5-0" and was not renewed. Albert R. Broccoli asked Reynolds to play James Bond, but he turned that role down, saying "An American can't play James Bond. It just can't be done." Following the series' cancellation, Reynolds did his first stage play in six years, a production of "The Tender Trap" at Arlington Park Theatre. He was offered