No one ever made acting look easier than Burt Reynolds.
His easygoing manner and sly humor made him a joy to watch in any role. It just seemed effortless.
In truth, Reynolds-who died Thursday at age 82-worked hard at his craft and had been doing it since his early theater days in Florida and New York. He worked waiting tables, washing dishes and driving trucks while taking acting classes. His rise to stardom was slow but steady. On stage, then television and finally the movies.
His breakout role was in 1972's "Deliverance," where he played the alpha-male among a group of four ill-fated men on a canoe trip. But his most endearing performance-especially to those of us here in the Twin Cities-was as Bo "Bandit" Darville in the 1977 film "Smokey and the Bandit."
With a bet, a truckload of Coors beer, a souped-up Trans Am and a damsel in distress played by Sally Field, Reynolds raced across the screen and into film history.
Though not a scene was filmed in Texarkana, the movie put our area on the map. Even today folks come to town looking for locations where the movie was lensed, only to find out the whole thing was shot in Georgia.
Reynolds would star in two sequels and became one of Hollywood's most popular leading men into the 1980s. His career suffered a setback for a while, but he would come back with the TV series "Evening Shade," which ran from 1990 to 1994. Then it was back to film roles. He was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor in 1997's "Boogie Nights."
He had his ups and downs, both in his career and private life. But Reynolds always looked like he was having a great time. And he gave us a great time watching him on the big and little screens.
He will forever be the Bandit to locals. And he will be missed.