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 reuniting him with Welch, and made a cameo in "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex*(*But Were Afraid to Ask)" (1972). He also returned to the stage, appearing in "The Rainmaker" at the Arlington. Reynolds played the title role in "Shamus" (1973), a modern-day private eye, which was a solid box office success. Reynolds described it as "not a bad film, kind of cute." He was in "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing" (1973) co-starring Sarah Miles. The film is best remembered for the scandal during filming where Miles' lover committed suicide; it was a minor hit. He was