The one actor Burt Reynolds and John Wayne agree is the greatest of all time
John Wayne was nearing the end of his life and career by the time Burt Reynolds became the most bankable leading man in Hollywood, leaving them to pass like superstar ships in the Hollywood night.
The moustachioed Smokey and the Bandit star even accomplished something ‘The Duke’ never managed by being named the biggest box office draw in the business for five consecutive years, but Wayne had him beat by featuring in the top ten 25 times compared to Reynolds’ 12, even if he only topped them on four occasions.
It wasn’t until Deliverance was released in 1972 that Reynolds finally made a name for himself, by which point Wayne was winding down. Battling against the overwhelming change in an industry he wanted to remain exactly the same as it had been for decades and combating health issues, the last few years of the legend’s filmography saw him falling out of favour as the ‘New Hollywood’ stars rose to the fore.
‘The Duke’ was immensely jealous of Clint Eastwood, who happened to be a close friend of Reynolds’, and it wasn’t his successor as the face of the western genre that he named as his heir apparent, with veteran producer Albert S Ruddy informing The Oklahoman that “John Wayne once told me that Burt would come closest to filling his sense of dedication and work ethic and character.”
They were two icons of very different eras, but one area where they did agree was Spencer Tracy. The nine-time Oscar nominee, two-time winner, the first two claim back-to-back ‘Best Actor’ prizes, and all-around ‘Golden Age’ A-lister is held in high esteem by performers of multiple generations, with Brian Cox in no doubt that he’s the best ever to set foot on the silver screen.
George Clooney would also echo that sentiment, with Reynolds dubbing Tracy “the best film actor I’ve ever seen.” He was enamoured the first time he ever laid eyes on the Captains Courageous and Boys Town headliner, and he never wavered from his belief that he was the greatest of all time, bar none.
Tracy also gave Reynolds some advice that he’d never forget, so his onscreen idol even influenced his own success. As for Wayne, ‘The Duke’ was never one to lavish too much praise on actors or filmmakers who weren’t part of his inner circle, but even he was forced to make an exception when he was asked to name his five favourite actors.
When he did, the first name on his list was Tracy’s. Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, Laurence Olivier, and Lionel Barrymore rounded out the quintet, but it’s telling that when Wayne was concocting his top five, Tracy was the first person who came to mind, and the one he awarded the number one spot.
Reynolds and ‘The Duke’ didn’t travel in the same circles, they never worked together, and if they did ever meet, it was only in passing, but if they did have a chinwag at an industry soiree of some kind, they’d have something in common, thanks to their shared adoration of Tracy’s work.
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