Burt Reynolds, Boogie Nights
The essence of a Hollywood star is that he can make hits out of crappy movies; his very presence lures the customers. Playing guys named Gator McKlusky and Shamus McCoy in indifferent action comedies, Reynolds sustained top-star status throughout the ’70s because men found him funny and likable, women sexy and self-depreciating. People almost forgot the 1972 Deliverance, where he also proved he could act in strong dramatic films. After a four-year run heading the sitcom Evening Shade, Reynolds, now 60, was cast as Jack Horner in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 film Boogie Nights; he lent the role of the porno director just the right mixture of class and crass. The part snagged him a slew of critics’ prizes and an Oscar nomination — scrolls that could go in the display case with his six People’s Choice Awards.
