Hollywood will never be the same now that it lost one its most famous actors, Burt Reynolds. The legend died on Sept. 6 at age 82 from an alleged heart attack, but before his passing, he was on the big and small screen for 60 years! And now, his former co-stars are revealing what it was like acting alongside the legend. 

His Smokey and the Bandit co-star Paul Williams is actually bitter about Burt’s career. “He never got the recognition as an actor he truly deserved,” he told Closer. “I think he shrugged his shoulders and laughed about it. He had the best laugh.”

burt reynolds and marilu henner
Getty Images

And Marilu Henner, his co-star and wife on Evening Shade, agrees that Burt was very funny. “He was such a powerhouse and the first thing you were drawn to was his sense of humor. It was bigger than everything!”

She added, “He liked to impart his knowledge to others. He never kept to himself and he loved to share. I think because he learned the hard way he wanted to make other’s lives easier.”

“Burt was a delight to work with,” his The Cannonball Run co-star Jamie Farr also told Closer. “He was so loyal to his actor friends.”

burt reynolds
Getty Images

Burt’s former flame, Sally Field, also addressed Burt’s death shortly after his passing — and noted how much he meant to her. “There are times in your life that are so indelible, they never fade away,” Sally said in a statement to People. “They stay alive, even forty years later. My years with Burt never leave my mind. He will be in my history and my heart, for as long as I live. Rest, Buddy.”

It seems Burt was happy with how he lived his life as well, and we’re sure he’d be happy to hear all the kind words from his former co-stars. “I don’t think of my past as anything negative, and if it is, I’ve forgotten it!” he once cracked to Closer. “Regrets are not healthy. It’s best to let go of those things that can’t be changed.”

For more on your favorite stars, pick up the new issue of Closer Weekly, on newsstands now — and sign up for our newsletter!

burt reynolds cover