Burt Reynolds, rugged leading man of 'Smokey and the Bandit,' 'Boogie Nights' fame, dead at 82

Burt Reynolds, the wisecracking 1970s movie heartthrob and Oscar nominee, has died at the age of 82.

According to Us Weekly, he passed away in a Florida hospital of a heart attack, attended by his family.

The moustachioed megastar had undergone heart bypass surgery in 2010. Reynolds is survived by his son, Quinton.

He shot to fame in 1972's Deliverance, and also starred in Smokey and the Bandit, Boogie Nights and The Cannonball Run.

The veteran actor's agent, Todd Eisner, told NBC News his passing was "heartbreaking".

Reynolds died at the Jupiter Medical Center in Florida, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Arnold Schwarzenegger tweeted that Reynolds was one of his heroes.

Reynolds' breakout movie role was in 1972's Deliverance, which told the tale of four men attacked by a madman in rural Georgia.

The box office hit netted three Oscar nominations and made Reynolds a Hollywood sex symbol.

That same year he broke a publishing taboo by posing for a nearly nude centrefold in Cosmopolitan magazine, which he later said was a "really stupid" idea.

His career peaked in 1977 when he played roguish trucker Bo Darville in action comedy Smokey and the Bandit. Only Star Wars grossed more at the box office that year.

But his roles went into freefall in the 1980s and his finances ruined by failed investments in restaurants and a Florida football team.

He made a 1997 comeback with his role as a porn film director in Boogie Nights, which won him an Oscar nomination.

Burt Reynolds was one of my heroes. He was a trailblazer. He showed the way to transition from being an athlete to being the highest paid actor, and he always inspired me. He also had a great sense of humor - check out his Tonight Show clips. My thoughts are with his family.
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) September 6, 2018

He was married twice, firstly to British actress Judy Carne in 1963, but they divorced two years later amid accusations of her over-spending and his infidelity.

Reynolds went on to marry actress Loni Anderson in 1988, but that also ended bitterly in 1993.

He also had an on-off relationship with co-star Sally Field, whom he later called the "love of his life".

After the divorce from Carne, Reynolds filed for bankruptcy with $11m in debts. In 2014, he was forced to sell many prized memorabilia, including his Golden Globe award.

Reynolds poses with British actress and ex-wife Judy Carne

But when Vanity Fair journalist Ned Zeman asked him what he would have done differently, Reynolds said: "Spent more money and had a lot more fun."

As a teenager, Reynolds won a football scholarship to Florida State University until a knee injury ended his sporting prospects.

He then landed his first acting role in a local production of the play Outward Bound. He received the 1956 Florida State Drama Award for that performance.

Reynolds is also known for turning down famous roles, including James Bond and Han Solo.

Reynolds with actress Sally Fields from the film Smokey and the Bandit

He also turned down the role of Edward Lewis, Richard Gere's character in 1990s Pretty Woman.

Up until his death, he had been filming a Quentin Tarantino movie about Charles Manson - Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.

There has been an outpouring of tributes to Reynolds from the world of showbiz:

Very sad to hearing about the passing of Burt Reynolds. He was a great actor, a philanthropist and a pioneer of the cool mustache. Thank you, Burt. You will be missed. pic.twitter.com/nuuFWMSnJg
— Steve Harvey (@IAmSteveHarvey) September 6, 2018

My good friend has started a new journey. Rest in my peace my friend. I’ll never forget the wonderful times we spent together. #BurtReynolds pic.twitter.com/DXzIchYDjl
— Reba (@reba) September 6, 2018