Burt Reynolds Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, director and producer. He first rose to prominence starring in television series such as "Gunsmoke" (1962–1965), "Hawk" (1966), and "Dan August" (1970–1971). His breakout film role was as Lewis Medlock in "Deliverance" (1972). Reynolds played the leading role in a number of subsequent box office hits, such as "The Longest Yard" (1974), "Smokey and the Bandit" (1977), "Semi-Tough" (1977), "Hooper" (1978), "Smokey and the Bandit II" (1980), "The Cannonball Run" (1981) and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982). After a number of
John Boorman of four urban men, played by Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ronny Cox and Ned Beatty, who encounter danger from an unexpected quarter while whitewater rafting through the Appalachian backwoods. The film became Boorman's first true box office success, earning him several award nominations. At the beginning of the 1970s, Boorman was planning to film "The Lord of the Rings" and corresponded about his plans with the author, J. R. R. Tolkien. Ultimately the production proved too costly, though some elements and themes can be seen in "Excalibur". A wide variety of films followed. "Zardoz" (1974), starring Sean Connery, was a