Burt Reynolds named the best director he’s ever worked with: “A wonderful man”
There are some actors whose names ring true with a genuinely iconic feel to them, and undoubtedly, Burt Reynolds possesses such a name. A true stalwart of the mid-late-20th century and beyond, Reynolds was the mustachio’d Michigan-born star who cemented himself as a master of the acting craft.
Reynolds had come through in a series of television shows, including Gunsmoke, Hawk and Dan August. Before long, he made a strong impression on the world of the big screen, too, delivering some classic moments in the likes of 100 Rifles, The Longest Yard, Semi-Tough, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Boogie Nights.
With such a reputation as one of the all-time great actors, it was only natural that Reynolds was afforded the opportunity to work with some of the most brilliant movie directors in the business. Throughout his career, the legendary actor teamed up with the likes of Alan J. Pakula, Paul Thomas Anderson, Mike Figgis, and Peter Bogdanovich.
However, there was one filmmaker that Reynolds seemed to enjoy working with the most. In an interview with Deadline, he spoke of his joy at being able to collaborate with John Boorman, who was known for his movies Excalibur, Hell in the Pacific and Exorcist II: The Heretic, winning five Academy Award nominations, including two for ‘Best Director’.
“Without a doubt, John Boorman was the best,” said Reynolds, who starred for Boorman in his 1972 thriller film Deliverance alongside Ned Beatty, Jon Voight and Ronny Cox. “He just had a great deal of faith in me. He thought I could do things that nobody else did, and he was a wonderful man to work for.”
Deliverance is a truly iconic movie and tells of a group of Atlanta businessmen who take a canoeing trip down a river in the remote Georgia wilderness. However, they are soon terrorised by the locals, and the film features two iconic cinematic moments: one of a country boy and one of the businessmen playing ‘Duelling Banjos’ together and another of a brutal sodomising rape.
Boorman had cast Deliverance “so beautifully”, according to Reynolds, who noted, “I’d never seen Ned Beatty or Ronny Cox before, and they were both wonderful actors, and he got them onboard with me and Jon Voight.” Interestingly, Boorman had actually wanted a different cast, including Marlon Brando and Henry Fonda, who all found that Boorman and James Dickey’s script was “great”.
However, such actors soon learned that they would be required to do more than they would actually have to do more than just speak their lines, or as Reynolds explained, “They found out that he wanted them to do their stunts, and they all said, ‘Fuck you, I don’t do that. I act, but I don’t do that.’”
Still, Reynolds said that he “loved” Boorman for that, for making his actors go the extra mile. Reynolds never worked with the English director again, but he would always have a special place for him in his heart.
The same could not be said for John G. Avildsen, for whom Reynolds starred in the 1975 comedy W.W. and the Dixie Dancekinds, with Reynold saying he had a “real run-in” with the filmmaker, “a hell of a director, but just a total prick.” Ouch. Thankfully, Boorman did not feel the same amount of Reynolds’ scorn.
