MOVIES

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Billy Dee Williams, Steve Harvey Among Stars Paying Tribute to Burt Reynolds

12:41 PM PDT 9/6/2018 by Lexy Perez

Dolly Parton, James Woods, Reba McEntire and more public figures took to social media to share their thoughts on the late actor.

Hollywood stars were heartbroken over the news of Burt Reynolds' death on Thursday and took to social media to pay tribute to the late actor. Reynolds, who is most recognized for his roles in Boogie Nights and Deliverance, died at Jupiter Medical Center in Florida, his manager, Erik Kritzer, told The Hollywood Reporter. The actor was 82. 

The accomplished actor was notorious for starring in a variety of action films and romantic comedies, including Starting Over (1979) opposite Jill Clayburgh and Candice Bergen; The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) with Dolly Parton; Best Friends (1982) with Goldie Hawn; and The Man Who Loved Women (1983) with Julie Andrews. Reynolds won a Golden Globe and was ranked as Hollywood’s top-grossing star every year from 1978 through 1982. 

"If I had to put only one of my movies in a time capsule, it would be Deliverance," Reynolds wrote in his 2015 memoir, But Enough About Me. "I don't know if it's the best acting I've done, but it's the best movie I've ever been in. It proved I could act, not only to the public but me."

Reynolds’ Smokey and the Bandit co-star and former love Sally Fields said of Reynolds in a statement: “There are times in your life that are so indelible, they never fade away. They stay alive, even forty years later. My years with Burt never leave my mind.  He will be in my history and my heart, for as long as I live. Rest, Buddy.”  

"My uncle was not just a movie icon; he was a generous, passionate and sensitive man who was dedicated to his family, friends, fans and acting students," Reynolds' niece, Nancy Lee Hess, said in a statement. "He has had health issues, however, this was totally unexpected. He was tough. Anyone who breaks their tailbone on a river and finishes the movie is tough. And that’s who he was. My uncle was looking forward to working with Quentin Tarantino [in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood] and the amazing cast that was assembled."

The creator of Evening Shade, in which Reynolds starred, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, and director Harry Thomason said in a statement on Thursday, "The critically acclaimed series, Evening Shade, was created expressly for and with the incomparable help of Burt Reynolds. Burt won the Emmy for best actor during our first season. He was sweet, brash, exasperating, hot-tempered, generous and wickedly talented. To be sure, it was a wild ride. R.I.P. Burt. May your star never go out."

After news broke of Reynolds' death, Hollywood stars took to social media to express their condolences for the late actor. 

“Burt Reynolds was one of my heroes. He was a trailblazer,” tweeted Arnold Schwarzenegger. “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."

“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,” wrote Steve Harvey. 

Billy Dee Williams also paid tribute, writing, “Burt Reynolds was a friend of mine, sad to hear of his passing.”

On The Late Show on Thursday night, host Stephen Colbert noted that he had just learned about Reynolds' passing after the show's rehearsal was ending. "For those of you who are too young to know, Burt Reynolds was the no. 1 star of the 1970s. ... He was charming, he was talented, he was handsome [when] all of us were wearing sleeveless scuba vests."

Colbert continued, "As sad as Burt's passing is, there's so much happening in the world right now ... right before I got on stage tonight, I checked my Twitter feed and 17 of 19 top trending stories right now were about Burt Reynolds. So America's priorities are in the right place right now."

After the audience applauded, Colbert concluded, "Thank you, Burt."

See what else Hollywood stars and other public figures are saying about Reynolds' death, below.