Arnold Schwarzenegger Remembers Burt Reynolds As One Of His Heroes

Hollywood legend Arnold Schwarzenegger has shared a statement remembering the life and influence [...]

By Russ Burlingame

Hollywood legend Arnold Schwarzenegger has shared a statement remembering the life and influence of Burt Reynolds, who passed away today at age 82.

In a statement on social media, Schwarzenegger called Reynolds one of his heroes and praised the actor's trailblazing spirit as well as his sense of humor.

"Burt Reynolds was one of my heroes," the former California governor wrote on Twitter. "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."

Reynolds, who starred in popular films like Deliverance, Smokey and the Bandit, The Cannonball Run, and Boogie Nights, had reportedly been dealing with health problems recently.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news of Reynolds' death on Thursday afternoon. According to the report, Reynolds died on Thursday morning at Jupiter Medical in Flordia, per his manager Erik Krtizer.

While THR didn't include a cause of death, The Daily Mail reports that Reynolds died of a heart attack. This was a previous health concern for the actor, who underwent heart surgery in 2010.

Reynolds began taking over as one of Hollywood's top leading men in the late 1970s, when he became the number one box-office attraction for five consecutive years. The actor became well known amongst audiences for his fun-loving, good-ol'-boy roles.

He was nominated for an Oscar in 1997, for his portrayal of porn director Jack Horner in Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights. While Reynolds ended up losing the award to Good Will Hunting's Robin Williams, he did take home a Golden Globe.

Even in his older years, Reynolds continued his work in both film and television. The actor recently appeared in the indie film The Last Movie Star, which told the story of an aging acting legend. Reynolds was currently shooting Quentin Tarantino's upcoming film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie. That film is scheduled to be released in 2019.

Reynolds has also become well known for the roles that he turned down over the years. The actor reportedly turned down the roles of both Han Solo in Star Wars and John McClane in Die Hard. He also "backed away" from playing Batman on TV in the '60s.

Reynolds is survived by his son, Quenton, whom he adopted with ex-wife Loni Anderson, when he was three days old.

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