The huge roles that Burt Reynolds turned down
A cornerstone of Hollywood allure, Burt Reynolds often magnetised audiences with his remarkable screen presence, dulcet tones and distinctively macho good looks. Unsurprisingly, he was a particular hit with female audiences. In the 1960s, Reynolds had carved a successful career on TV, having led the crime and drama series Hawk and Dan August.
It was Deliverance in 1972, however, that would catapult him to silver-screen fame and put him on the path to becoming the Hollywood legend, sex symbol and all-around icon of the 1970s. While he continued to work until he died in 2018, reluctantly appearing in Paul Thomas Anderson’s glorious porn epic Boogie Nights in 1997 and a string of direct-to-video action flicks and comedies in the 2000s, it was the ’70s that defined him.
However, while we all remember him for his iconic roles as Paul “Wrecking” Crewe or Bo “Bandit” Darville (the man loves a nickname), the stories of those Reynolds declined are just as fascinating – sometimes, even more so. Remarkably, Reynolds said no to three major parts that stand at the pinnacle of popular culture, and that had the potential to reshape his storied career.
One of the most startling revelations is Reynolds passing on the role of Han Solo in George Lucas’ Star Wars. Han Solo, the spirited, audacious smuggler, became a cinematic legend, elevating Harrison Ford to unparalleled fame. Before Ford, however, Lucas and 20th Century Fox had an eye on Reynolds, who, in 1977, was at his hottest. Reflecting on this choice, the actor shared with Business Insider: “I just didn’t want to play that kind of role at the time. Now I regret it. I wish I would have done it.”
Another significant part Reynolds sidestepped was none other than 007 himself: James Bond. After George Lazenby’s departure, the search for a new 007 saw Reynolds on the list. However, his reservations about an American embodying the British spy led him to decline. Reflecting on this, Reynolds stated, “I think I was putting myself down in a way, because I think I could have done it very well.”
In the end, MGM producers appealed for Sean Connery to return to the role for the sixth time, but not without coughing up an eye-watering $1.25million fee to secure him. Whilst accurately foreseeing that “once you do something like that and it’s successful, you’re bound to play that part for a long time”, Reynolds can now acknowledge that he thinks he “would have liked it. I like that kind of tongue-in-cheek humour.”
Lesser-known but equally significant was Reynolds’ decision to forgo the role of Garrett Breedlove in 1983’s Terms of Endearment. This heartfelt film saw Jack Nicholson shine as the retired astronaut opposite Shirley MacLaine, winning him an Academy Award for ‘Best Supporting Actor’. Reynolds said: “I regret that one most of all because it was a real acting part. Thinking back now, it was really a stupid decision, but I made a lot of stupid decisions in that period. It must have been my stupid period.”
