Sally Field And Other Women From Burt Reynolds' Past Have Revealed Their True Feelings For The Macho Star

Of course, Reynolds was once one of the biggest film stars around. In the ’70s he appeared in a string of hit movies, including Smokey and the Bandit and Deliverance. He even earned an Oscar nomination for his role in 1997’s Boogie Nights. As the saying goes, men wanted to be him, and women wanted to be with him.

And during the prime of his career in the '70s and early '80s, Reynolds dated a slew of women. This only solidified his reputation as one of Hollywood's biggest sex symbols — even when he was without the famous mustache.

At one time or another, for example, Reynolds was romantically linked to singer Dinah Shore and French actress Catherine Deneuve. He also dated Farrah Fawcett and Goldie Hawn. But there was something different about his relationship with Sally Field.

When Sally Field first met Burt Reynolds in the mid-1970s, she was known for her memorable performances in the television sitcoms The Flying Nun and Gidget — and a career-making turn in Sybil. The spirited Field seemed like an unlikely fit for the manly Reynolds.

Plus, Reynolds' TV career couldn't have been more different. He gained early recognition for his roles in television drama series, such as Gunsmoke, Hawk, and Dan August. But by 1976 Reynolds had enough hit movies under his belt that he could command $1 million for Smokey and the Bandit.

Reynolds also had enough clout that he could compel the studio to cast Field in Smokey and the Bandit — even though they'd wanted someone else. Perhaps he saw something in her, because soon they were sharing more than just an on-screen love affair.

Field and Reynolds had an on-off relationship for the next five years. During that time, the pair also worked together on four movies: Smokey and the Bandit, Smokey and the Bandit II, The End, and Hopper. But Field’s and Reynolds’ off-screen relationship was perhaps even more fascinating than the chemistry between them in those movies.

To Reynolds, it seemed that Field would forever be the one who had gotten away. In his 2015 autobiography But Enough About Me, he called losing Field “the biggest regret of my life.” He blamed himself for the failure of the relationship, too. “I would’ve been better when I was grown up and a lot more mature,” Reynolds admitted. “I was pretty wild.”

“Wild” could be an understatement — as evidenced by the outpouring of Reynolds tributes following his death on September 6, 2018. Unfortunately, he'd been plagued by heart problems for a while. The 82-year-old actor had fallen ill at his home and was consequently rushed to hospital. But he didn’t recover, and the star ultimately passed away in his hospital bed in the company of his family.

And perhaps due in part to Reynolds’ enduring fame, tributes poured in after news of his death had broken. As we mentioned, though, Reynolds made just as much of an impression upon men as he did on women. Don't believe us? Well, the statements from male stars are just as revealing about Reynolds as those from women.

Movie director Kevin Smith wrote in praise of Reynolds on Twitter. “I always loved how Burt Reynolds worked with his friends as often as he could and then showcased the fun of movie-making in the end credits of his flicks,” Smith said. “He was a true American icon. Hate to see him go...”

Stephen Colbert told The Late Show viewers, “For those of you who are too young to know, Burt Reynolds was the number one star of the 1970s. He was charming, he was talented [and] he was handsome [when] all of us were wearing sleeveless scuba vests.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger, for his part, described Reynolds as a “trailblazer.” He wrote on Twitter, “Burt Reynolds was one of my heroes. He was a trailblazer,” tweeted Arnold Schwarzenegger. “He showed the way to transition from being an athlete to being the highest-paid actor, and he always inspired me. He also had a great sense of humor.”

He even received praise from the people he'd worked with. For example, John Boorman directed Reynolds in his best-remembered movie Deliverance. Yet Reynolds was apparently far from movie executives’ first choice to be cast in this horror flick. The director later recalled to The Hollywood Reporter that the studio simply couldn’t afford to get anyone else.

Speaking a few days after Reynolds’ passing, Boorman told the publication, “The studio was very unenthusiastic about casting Burt in Deliverance. They wanted a big star. I had gone to Jack Nicholson, but he wanted a half-million dollars, which was outrageous in 1972.” And more seemingly bad news was to follow for the director, as he went on to explain.

Boorman continued, “And then I went to Marlon Brando, [who] told me [that] he’d do [the movie] for whatever Jack [Nicholson] was asking for. So, in the end, the studio told me to go ahead and make [Deliverance] with nobodies for no money. They had very little confidence in the material.” The end result? Deliverance became the fifth-highest grossing film of 1972 — and got three Oscar nods. It also earned Reynolds many female fans.

And one of the most heartwarming tributes to Reynolds came from Dolly Parton. After learning of the news, the country legend tweeted a still from a movie they'd made together. And accompanying the image was the message, “Oh how sad I am today along with Burt’s millions of fans around the world as we mourn one of our favorite leading men.”

And, trust us, Parton ensured that she and Reynolds got up close and personal in the movie. In a 1980 Rolling Stone interview, she admitted that she had told producers she’d wanted more romantic scenes. She explained, “Wouldn’t you feel like you wasted five dollars if you paid to see [the movie] and you didn’t see me and Burt kiss?”

Rumors later surfaced that the two stars had continued their on-screen romance away from the cameras — but in 1982 Parton insisted to People that this hadn’t been the case. She said, “We’re too good friends to want to screw it up havin’ an affair. If [Reynolds] marries and has children, I want to be friends with his wife without her feelin’ we’d ever been lovers.”

And Reynolds was just as complimentary about his one-time co-star during a 2015 interview with the BBC. When asked about filming with Parton, the actor quipped, “I loved it. It was wonderful. I’ve got to work with her for so long that eventually I was looking at her face.” Well, we think that's a compliment...

Reynolds also told Reader’s Digest that he wasn’t the only member of his family to have been charmed by Parton. He said, “I loved it when my parents visited me on the set of my films. Dolly Parton flirted mercilessly with Dad when I did Best Little... which made him very happy!”

The pair made quite the impression on each other. Parton continued in her tribute to Reynolds, “I know we will always remember his funny laugh, that mischievous sparkle in his eyes, and his quirky sense of humor. You will always be my favorite sheriff. Rest in peace, my little buddy, and I will always love you.”

More women beyond Field and Parton came forward with their memories of Reynolds, too. “My uncle was not just a movie icon; he was a generous, passionate, and sensitive man who was dedicated to his family, friends, fans, and acting students,” Nancy Lee Hess, Reynolds’ niece, said in a statement. “He was tough. Anyone who breaks their tailbone on a river and finishes the movie is tough. And that’s who he was.” Other women shared this sentiment, too.

Linda Bloodworth-Thomason dreamed up Evening Shade for Reynolds. “The critically acclaimed series, Evening Shade, was created expressly for and with the incomparable help of Burt Reynolds,” she said as part of a statement. “Burt won the Emmy for best actor during our first season. He was sweet, brash, exasperating, hot-tempered, generous, and wickedly talented. To be sure, it was a wild ride.”

Female stars young and old shared their experiences as well. “Burt... You were one of the greatest guys I ever worked with,” wrote Kristy Swanson. “I am grateful we got some time together last year and laugh about the old days of B.L. Stryker.” Even people who didn't know him personally were devastated.

Mia Farrow confessed that she "never met Burt Reynolds but only ever heard the nicest things about him." Reba McEntire had fond memories, too. "My good friend has started a new journey," she tweeted. "Rest in my peace, my friend. I’ll never forget the wonderful times we spent together." Yet the person most people wanted to hear from was Field.

You see, when the subject of Field came up in a 2015 Vanity Fair interview, Reynolds said, “I miss her terribly.” He also confessed, “Even now, it’s hard on me. I don’t know why I was so stupid. Men are like that, you know. You find the perfect person, and then you do everything you can to screw it up.” Tellingly, he also called Field “the love of [his] life.”

This was despite the fact that Reynolds and Field both wed other people after their split. In 1988 Reynolds got hitched to actress Loni Anderson, but they parted ways in 1993. Field also separated from her second husband, Alan Greisman, in 1993.

But even though a great deal of time had passed between Reynolds’ and Field’s relationship ending and the actor’s death, it was clear that Field’s memories of their years together remained vivid. “There are times in your life that are so indelible, they never fade away,” she said in her statement following Reynolds’ passing. “They stay alive, even 40 years later.”

“My years with Burt never leave my mind,” Field continued. “He will be in my history and my heart, for as long as I live. Rest, Buddy.” Buddy was Reynolds’ nickname, and while Field’s statement was a simple one, it appeared that plenty of sadness lay behind her words.

Reynolds and Field had come close to getting married, after all, with the subject raised during a 1979 joint interview with People. However, Reynolds was holding off on tying the knot, he said, because Field had children from a previous marriage. “I don’t want them to think of me as this guy who moved in with their mother,” he explained.

“I am planning to get married, but I don’t know when,” Reynolds continued. “The kids and I have a great relationship, but we haven’t had enough time together. Am I supposed to tell Sally to drop them off and screech away?” And Reynolds had plans for himself and Field to have children of their own. He added, “I want a kid so bad that I ache, and yet I have this incredible fear.”

What’s more, Reynolds reportedly asked Field to marry him more than once while they were together, although no wedding ever ensued. He did eventually get the child he so desired, though: after marrying Loni Anderson, the couple adopted a boy named Quinton. Anderson, by the way, also released a statement following Reynolds’ death.

On behalf of both herself and her son, Anderson told Fox News, “Quinton and I are extremely touched by the tremendous outpouring of love and support from friends and family throughout the world. Burt was a wonderful director and actor. He was a big part of my life for twelve years and Quinton’s father for 30 years. We will miss him and his great laugh.”

Then, in the very same month that Reynolds passed away, Field’s autobiography, In Pieces, was published. And during the press tour for the book, the actress spoke about Reynolds and the difficulties of their relationship. Their life together was, as she told The New York Times, “confusing and complicated – and not without loving and caring – but really complicated and hurtful to [her].”

In the book, Field didn’t sugarcoat her time with Reynolds, either. Although she’d clearly had very strong feelings for him when they met, Field claimed that he had been controlling. For instance, the actor had reportedly tried to stop her from going to the 1977 Emmys, where she had ultimately won an award.

Since Reynolds’ death, Field had also been “flooded with feelings and nostalgia” about him, she told The New York Times. But the star admitted that she was also relieved that Reynolds would never read her memoir. “This would hurt him,” Field said. “I felt glad that he wasn’t going to read it, he wasn’t going to be asked about it, and he wasn’t going to have to defend himself or lash out, which he probably would have. I did not want to hurt him any further.”

And it seemed that there had been some hurt when Field and Reynolds’ relationship finally imploded too. In September 2018 actress Angie Dickinson told People about how she’d comforted Reynolds following his breakup with Field. “It was after we’d done The Tonight Show, and we talked afterwards in his dressing room, and [Reynolds] was very open about hurting,” Dickinson said. “He was in agony over that.”

Soon after Reynolds’ death, though, the star’s funeral took place. He was cremated at Florida’s Gold Coast Crematory, The Blast reported, and his niece took charge of his ashes. He was eventually laid to rest in a Hollywood cemetery in February 2021. A bronze bust of the star marks the gravesite.

But perhaps the final word should be given to Field, who summed up her relationship with Reynolds in a September 2018 interview with NPR. “I was only with [Reynolds] for about three years and then maybe two years on and off after that,” she said. “But it was so hugely important in my own existence [and] my own movement as a person.” Then she touched upon what may have been the main reason for the couple’s split, adding, “We were a perfect match of flaws.”