By Robin Postell

FLORIDA – Burt Reynolds died today, Thursday, September 6, 2018, at the age of 82 of apparent cardiac arrest in a Florida hospital.

Reynolds underwent a successful heart surgery in 2010.

Reynolds had recently been a guest in Valdosta for Roy Kirkland’s RKDS Film Festival on July 12-14, 2018 where he appeared to be in poor health and didn’t sign autographs, remaining seated most of the time onstage.

Longtime friend and fellow southern thespian Sonny Shroyer of Dukes of Hazzard fame saw each other for the last time at the festival.

Reynolds had major success during the 70s with films like Gator, Smokey and the Bandit and Deliverance, and went on to film critically-acclaimed Boogie Nights with director P.T. Anderson.

Reynolds has a movie, Defining Moments, coming out in December 2018, and was in the process of filming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Quentin Tarantino’s latest. Reynolds was going to star alongside Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie. It is unknown at this time how his death will effect the film’s outcome. The plot mirrors Reynolds’ life, chronicling an actor and a stunt man living in Hollywood during the Manson murders year of 1969.

Reynolds was longtime best friends with stunt phenom Hal Needham, who was Reynold’s right hand in many of his films even through he liked doing his own stunts as much as possible.

Reynolds is survived by one son, Quinton Anderson Reynolds, whose mother was his second wife, Loni Anderson.

Reynolds expressed regret over losing Sally Field, his Smokey and the Bandit co-star, calling her the one who got away.

The bandit has left the building.