Was Jerry Reed and Burt Reynolds good friends?

Was Jerry Reed and Burt Reynolds good friends?

While working on this movie, Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed became fast friends. In fact, Reynolds liked working with the Guitar Man so much that he cast Reed in his directorial debut, the 1976 film “Gator.” They would go on to work together in all three of the Smokey and the Bandit movies.

How old was Jerry Reed when he passed away?

Jerry Reed

Why was Burt Reynolds not in Smokey and the Bandit 2?

The man was Gleason’s double. Original “Smokey and the Bandit” director Hal Needham and its big star Burt Reynolds were not interested in making this movie as they were developing another project, Stroker Ace (1983). Reynolds ended up making a very brief cameo appearance though, in the final scene.