According to AP News, Burt Reynolds died after rehearsing lines for his final movie role in September 2018. He was cast in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and was running his lines for his final role before dying at the age of 82 on September 6, 2018. Reynolds’ cause of death was a heart attack.
The CW’s documentary special I Am Burt Reynolds revisited the late actor’s life and successful Hollywood career. The documentary also looked at his highs and lows and the dark side of his personal life. These include his pain pill addiction and tumultuous relationship with his first wife, Loni Anderson, who is an interviewee.
Directed by Adrian Buitenhuis, I Am Burt Reynolds premiered on December 31, 2023.
Burt Reynolds’ cause of death and prior health issues explained
Emmy-winning actor Burt Reynolds died shortly before shooting for Once Upon a Time began in Hollywood. He died on the morning of September 6, 2018, at Jupiter Medical in Florida, as per People Magazine.
The outlet confirmed that Burt Reynolds’ cause of death was a heart attack. His niece, Nancy Lee Hess, later said in a statement, “He has had health issues.” However, she said his death was “totally unexpected.” The 82-year-old had been battling health issues for years at the time of his death.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino recalled Reynolds’ last moments. He told Esquire “that the last thing he did just before he died was run lines with his assistant. Then he went to the bathroom, and that’s when he had his heart attack.”
In 2013, Reynolds was admitted to intensive care in a hospital in Florida for treatment of flu symptoms. He had started using a cane in the years leading up to his death and blamed his limited mobility on the stunts he performed during his career. The former stuntman once addressed the matter on ITV’s Jonathan Ross Show in 2015, saying, “I did all my own stunts, which is why I can’t walk now.”
Before that, in March 2010, Reynolds underwent bypass surgery at a Florida hospital. Following the surgery, the actor told People Magazine, “My doctor said I needed to undergo bypass surgery immediately. I went home and shaved then had the operation the next day.” The Deliverance actor further added how he “was a heart attack waiting to happen.” He also admitted to feeling “fabulous” after the surgery.
About Burt Reynolds’ addiction to pain pills
Another People report mentioned that Burt Reynolds was a football player and a certified stuntman before becoming a movie star. His years of injuries pushed him to start taking prescription pills. His Deliverance costar Jon Voight said, “He wasn’t careful about it.” He battled pain pill addiction throughout his life and ended up in rehab in the late 1990s.
Then, in May 2009, Reynolds underwent back surgery once again, which caused his prescription pill dependency. In September of that year, he checked himself into rehab to deal with addiction problems and told People that he “couldn’t beat prescription drugs on my own” despite being a big tough guy.
Reynolds added, “I’ve worked hard to get off of them and really hope other people will realize they need to seek professional help, rather than ignoring the problem or trying to get off of the prescriptions on their own.” He then completed a month-long stint at the Hanley Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
I Am Burt Reynolds aired on The CW on December 31, 2023.
