(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Burt Reynolds might never have achieved the dramatic prowess of Marlon Brando or the industry influence of Clint Eastwood, but he was an undisputed star in his heyday, balancing rugged masculinity with self-aware humour. Movies like Smokey and the Bandit made him an icon of the 1970s, while his breakout role in John Boorman’s Deliverance proved that he could do more than project charisma.
Reynolds secured his start as an actor after an injury forced him to stop playing college football. He knocked around on television for a while, playing cops and hunky blacksmiths before he bridged the gap to movies. He hit the peak of his career in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, playing hyper-masculine characters in movies like Semi-Tough and Cannonball Run. He rarely appeared in critically acclaimed movies, but it didn’t matter; he was one of the most popular stars in America.
By the late ‘80s, however, Reynolds’ career was faltering. His characters were becoming more and more repetitive, and he was in danger of becoming a parody of himself. During this period, he made a string of box office bombs, including one which involved his worst experience with a female co-star.
The film was 1988’s Switching Channels, a remake of the 1928 play (and 1931 film) The Front Page, which was also adapted into the classic 1940 romantic comedy His Girl Friday. Reynolds stars as the director of a cable network whose ex-wife, played by Kathleen Turner, is his star news anchor. They spar constantly, but ultimately, of course, fall madly back in love. Unfortunately, things were not so romantic off-screen. In a 2018 interview with The Palm Springs Desert Sun, Reynolds identified the film as one of his biggest professional mistakes, pointing directly to Turner as the cause.
“That was the only leading lady I couldn’t get along with at all,” he confessed. “She had this thing about me and she was probably right. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. But, at least I was trying to be nice to everybody.”
When the interviewer asked whether he was talking about Turner, Reynolds simply replied, “Yep.” He may as well have said, “Next question” while he was at it.
This is a fairly diplomatic description of an unpleasant on-set experience, especially considering that Reynolds was not the only one who found Turner to be a challenging co-star. Although she was one of the most prominent actors in the ‘80s with movies like Romancing the Stone, Body Heat, and Peggy Sue Got Married, she frequently clashed with other actors and suffered a sharp career decline.
For her part, Turner was equally unimpressed with Reynolds and once said that he was responsible for the worst on-screen kiss of her career. In a 2018 interview with Vanity Fair, she gave her side of the feud.
“Working with Burt Reynolds was terrible,” she said, revealing that he made her cry on the very first day of shooting. “He said something about not taking second place to a woman,” she continued. “His behaviour was shocking. It never occurred to me that I wasn’t someone’s equal.”
Needless to say, they never worked together again.
Related Topics
Subscribe To The Far Out Newsletter
Burt Reynolds was known for his charming demeanor and laid-back attitude, but there was one actor he absolutely despised working with. That actor was none other than Chevy Chase.
Reynolds and Chase starred together in the 1983 film “Deal of the Century,” and from the moment they met, it was clear that they did not get along. Reynolds found Chase to be arrogant, disrespectful, and constantly trying to upstage him on set.
According to Reynolds, Chase would often make snide remarks about his acting abilities and try to outshine him in every scene. This behavior quickly wore on Reynolds, and he made it known that he would never work with Chase again.
Despite their on-screen chemistry, the tension between Reynolds and Chase was palpable, and their working relationship quickly soured. Reynolds later admitted that working with Chase was one of the most unpleasant experiences of his career.
In Hollywood, where egos often clash, it’s not uncommon for actors to butt heads on set. But for Burt Reynolds, working with Chevy Chase was a nightmare he never wanted to relive.
Tags:
Burt Reynolds, least favorite co-star, difficult actor, on-set feud, Hollywood drama, troublesome colleague, challenging working relationship
#actor #Burt #Reynolds #hated #working
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.