Burt Reynolds - But Enough About Me

by Jon Voight

I ts the second day of filming Deliverance. Burt Reynolds is playing Lewis Medlock, a macho survivalist, and Im Ed Gentry, a mild-mannered suburbanite. Our characters have arranged for a couple of backwoods guys to lead us down to the river in their truck. Were to follow them in our Scout SUV, with Burt behind the wheel and me riding shotgun. With no seat belt. As I would learn, thats the way it often feels with Burt: no seat belt.

In the script, Lewis decides he wants to lead, not follow, so he cuts onto the road in front of the truck, and it makes Ed nervous. Thats the script.

So the plan is to give the truck a small head start, then cut through a grassy area and beat it to the road. Now were rolling film, and the assistant director calls through a bullhorn, Number one car! and the truck takes off. A few seconds later we hear, Number two car! but Burt waits. And waits. Im wondering what the hells going on. When he finally takes off, I know we have no chance to keep close to the truck, never mind beat it to the road. Burt floors it and we almost go airborne. Im certain now were going to crash into the truck and I brace against the dashboard. But somehow we land on the road about a foot ahead of the truck, throw up some dust and stones, and head on down the road, and I hear Burts whoop of a laugh that I would come to learn signals another happy brush with danger. Its at about this time that I learn that this world-class athlete, this all-star halfback back at Florida State, is in the stuntmens union.

Were not done. A few scenes later the two of us are still in the SUV facing what looks like an overgrown cow path in the middle of the woods. There are tiny trees growing on it and we dont have much visibility. Were in a tight spot on both sides with no room for technicians or camera crew. A couple of crew members have fastened a gyroscope camera on the hood of the SUV, which is supposed to keep steady no matter how rough the ride is. Its an early use of this technology and everyone is hoping it will work. With the camera secured, the director and all of the crew leave us to take over the filming ourselves.

I switch on the camera and jump into the SUV, pick up the clapboard, and, for some reason, maybe because I know Im crazy putting myself in Burts hands again, I announce in a German accent, Und now ve happily go forvard into who the hell knows vhat. Take one! As soon as I clap the thing, Burt floors it.

We dont know whats in front of us (apparently no ones checked out the terrain). Burt doesnt care. Hes going flat out. Trees are raking the side of the vehicle and slapping at the camera, which seems to be holding. Suddenly we hit what feels like a crater: BAM! It rocks the vehicle down to its frame. We somehow bounce out of it, although we may have been inches away from going through the windshield. I think even Burt is shocked at how close we came to disaster, but his reaction is to giggle and soon the two of us are laughing, the kind of deep laughter little kids get. Yet even in our hysteria we remember to play it into our characters and finish out the scene. A bit of a miracle.

All this is in the final film. Its one of my favorite sequences in all of the filming Ive done, and it is this portrait of our laughter that comes to mind when I think of my friendship with Burt Reynolds.

When we began shooting Deliverance, Burt was in a place where the depth of his talent hadnt been truly recognized. Our director, John Boorman, must be given all the credit for seeing his greatness and for insisting on Burt for the plum role of Lewis Medlock. Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, and I, his costars, became his great fans, and Burt knew what we all came to know: that his performance would expose his enormous talent to the world and change his career forever.

Look at the scene where Lewis saves the team from the mountain men. He takes total command of a dangerous situation and delivers a powerful aria in the middle of those woods. Its a sensational piece of acting. I think we all did our parts well, but it was Burt who rose up and showed his full stature in that central great moment. The success of the film has everything to do with his performance. The story is compelling and the filmmaking is superior, but the key ingredient in Deliverance is Burt Reynolds.

Burt and I had different approaches to acting in Deliverance. Some of it certainly had to do with the difference in our characters. Like my character, Ed, Im questioning everything and wanting to stay on solid ground. Im thinking about all the different motivations, building my character piece by piece, always refining. But theres Burt saying, Lets go! He already knows exactly what to do and he cant wait to do it.

Of course a lot of this is just us. Im naturally reflective and Burt is a man of action. This is evident, too, in our approaches to celebrity. I was wary of it, thinking it would erode my artistic aspirations. Burt loved signing autographs. He knew how happy it made people. Today, when I sign autographs or take photos with fans I think about that time and Burts lesson to me.

Whenever Burt and I get together, its a happy occasion. Weve both had our ups and downs in life, but we can step back and laugh at ourselves. Again: its the laughter. The laughter has become the signature of our friendship. Burt has it in abundance. And its in this funny, honest book, too. As Burt shares his memories of the people in his life, you get a true sense of the man. Its like sitting down and talking with him. Youll learn things you might not know, like the fact that Burt built a theater in Florida at great personal expense because he wanted to give back to the community, and that hes dedicated himself to teaching in order to keep faith with the drama professor who changed his life.