Sometimes, you’ll find that certain actors are just too good at their job. So good, in fact, that they end up having their roles minimized because they are so talented! Unfortunately, this was the case for Burt Reynolds after a brief stint on the classic Western series, Gunsmoke. That’s right, after playing the part of Quint Asper across three years and over 50 episodes, Reynolds put his days on the small screen to an end and left the series to pursue a career on the big screen! This was a smart choice, considering the legendary filmography that he would end up having.
Burt Reynolds Went From ‘Gunsmoke’ to Iconic Movie Star
It also had to be an easy decision, considering the troubling time that Reynolds had on Gunsmoke. When you have an actor as great as he is, you would think that networks and showrunners would want to milk his screen time for all he’s worth. Unfortunately, the producers of this iconic show have admitted that they gave him less time on screen because he was such a natural leading man.
Their biggest concern was that he would end up stealing the show away from stars like James Arness and Dennis Weaver. With most other casts that might not be the case, but when you’ve got Burt Reynolds going up against these guys, the producers were probably right. Reynolds’ reputation as a difficult personality on set, as well as his feelings towards the Western genre growing stale, only helped him segue out of Gunsmoke that much easier.
If you’re looking for an actor with a solid filmography to their name, then you could do much worse than starting with Burt Reynolds. Ever since his film and TV career began in the late ’50s, both filmmakers and audiences had a hard time keeping their eyes off of him. His body of work is home to numerous classics, be it Smokey and the Bandit, The Longest Yard, White Lightning, and Deliverance. He would even go so far as to have a career resurgence in the late ’90s after appearing in Boogie Nights, kick-starting another massive and prolific (if much less acclaimed) leg of his career.
That era would see him acting in cult favorites like Without a Paddle, a remake of his film The Longest Yard, and The Dukes of Hazzard. He was even supposed to play Bruce Dern’s role as George Spahn in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but passed away before filming began. Whether he was Oscar-worthy or not, that just depended on the day. What was always true is that the people, both audiences and filmmakers, loved Burt Reynolds. They couldn’t get enough of him, not in the ’50s and not in the 2000s. Well, except for the people behind Gunsmoke.
Burt Reynolds Had a Complicated History With ‘Gunsmoke’
You would be hard-pressed to find many shows as popular and beloved as the Western Gunsmoke. The TV version (there are radio shows and TV movies as well) ran from 1955 until 1975. That’s right, this series was on the tube for an entire 20 years, beating cancelation, surviving a few title changes, and carrying a few cast members most of the way through its run, including James Arness and Milburn Stone for its entire two decades (Amanda Blake made it close, finishing her run in 1974). The series follows U.S. Marshall Matt Dillon (Arness), a man who fights for justice in 1870s Dodge City, Kansas. Gunsmoke came out at a time when Western TV shows were all the rage, so it should come as no surprise that this series was such a big deal. Even in a sea of ’50s and ’60s cowboy shows, Gunsmoke managed to stand apart, and it helps that the series had such a great lead in James Arness.
That said, a show doesn’t run for 20 years without having a few great supporting players, too. In only three years, Burt Reynolds outdid everyone on Gunsmoke. He might not have had as great of a tenure on the show, but when he was on screen, he made those moments count big time. Reynolds’ performance as Quint Asper, the half-Comanche blacksmith, carries the same sort of weight that he would bring to many future roles. Reynolds has a face and a presence that commands the screen.
Everything about him exudes both a cool factor and a maturity that is beyond his years, traits that he would later become iconic for but bore even in the earliest stages of his career. Allegedly, Reynolds had a difficult time on his previous series, Riverboat, so after having a smooth experience on Gunsmoke, his confidence rubbed off onscreen. This led him to take over any scene that he was in. You would think this would ease producers’ minds, but Reynolds was so good that they worried he would take over the show. Ultimately, they ended up giving him less time on screen because of it.
Why Did Burt Reynolds Leave ‘Gunsmoke’?
This ended up being a bit of a backhanded compliment kind of scenario, weirdly enough. In a 2016 interview with Cowboys and Indians, Burt Reynolds explained the producers’ view on him, and why he left the series by saying, “Well, when I came back after doing a movie [during the summer hiatus], Milburn (his co-star on Gunsmoke) said, “Your movies are taking off — get out of here.” I said, “Don’t you like me?” He said, total gentleman that he was, “I love your work. But it’s time to think about your movie career.” I knew he was the smartest guy on the set — I always thought that. He was so wonderful. So I quit.” The producers knew that Reynolds was the real deal. TV was too small for him — this guy was going places.
Reynolds, on the other hand, had mixed feelings about the show. In that same interview, when he was asked about his favorite memories of being on Gunsmoke, he said, “The day I left the show. No, seriously, I enjoyed being on Gunsmoke. But if it hadn’t been for Milburn Stone, this interview might not even be taking place.” Despite playing a marginal part in the show’s history, Gunsmoke would turn out to be a pivotal element in Reynolds’ life.
Without it, he would never move on to future Westerns like 1966’s Navajo Joe or 1969’s 100 Rifles. While those movies sound insignificant, they’re similar stepping stones to Gunsmoke in that they broadened Reynolds’ fanbase and cultural awareness, which led to landing him roles in movies like Deliverance, Smokey and the Bandit, and The Longest Yard. It’s all a part of the plan. Fans of Burt Reynolds might be frustrated that Gunsmoke didn’t give him more to do, but in reality, it paved the way for his whole career. What more could you ask for?