Burt Reynolds

In memory of actor and Walk of Famer Burt Reynolds, flowers were placed on his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday, September 6, 2018 at 4 p.m. The star in the category of Motion Pictures is located at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard. “We will miss you Burt! You are Hollywood!” Ana Martinez, Producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame signed the card on behalf of the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign are registered trademarks of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its 2005 remake respectively, Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, J.J. McClure in The Cannonball Run, the voice of Charlie B. Barkin in All Dogs Go to Heaven, and Jack Horner in Boogie Nights. He is one of America's most recognizable film and television personalities with more than 90 feature film and 300 television episode credits.

Reynolds' parents were Burton Reynolds, who was of Cherokee and Irish ancestry, and his wife, Fern Miller. Reynolds states in his autobiography that his family was living in Lansing when his father was drafted into the United States Army. Reynolds, his mother and his sister joined his father at Fort Leonard Wood, where they lived for two years. When Reynolds's father was sent to Europe, the family returned to Lansing, Michigan. In 1946, Reynolds moved to Riviera Beach, Florida, with his parents. His father, Burt Sr., later became Chief of Police of Riviera Beach.

Riviera Beach is the next town north of West Palm Beach.

In his senior year at Palm Beach High School, Reynolds was named First Team All State and All Southern as a fullback, and received multiple scholarship offers. After graduating from Palm Beach High School in West Palm Beach, Florida, Reynolds attended the Florida State University on a college football scholarship, and played halfback. Reynolds hoped to be named to All-America teams and to have a career in professional football. In the first game of the season Reynolds was injured, and a car accident later that year worsened the injury. With his college football career ended, Reynolds considered becoming a police officer, but his father suggested that he finish college and become a parole officer. In order to keep up with his studies, he began taking classes at Palm Beach Junior College in neighboring Lake Park. In his first term at PBJC Reynolds was in a class taught by Watson B. Duncan III. Duncan pushed Reynolds into trying out for a play he was producing, Outward Bound. He cast Reynolds in the lead, based on his impressions from listening to Reynolds read Shakespeare in class. Reynolds won the 1956 Florida State Drama Award for his performance in Outward Bound. Reynolds calls Duncan his mentor and the most influential person in his life.