US ACTOR BURT Reynolds has died, aged 82.

CNN reports his agent Todd Eisner confirmed that he suffered a cardiac arrest and had died at a Florida hospital.

Reynolds was a huge box office attraction particularly in the 1970s. He is best known for his appearance in movies like Deliverance, Smokey and the Bandit, Boogie Nights and the Longest Yard.

Former co-stars, friends and fans of Reynolds have paid tribute to his life and work.

Actor and filmmaker Kevin Smith described him as “THE movie star of my childhood”. 

His career spanned six decades and it was his appearance in the 1972 thriller Deliverance that has been credited for launching him into stardom early on. He himself said he believed that was his best film.

He was also praised for his performance in The Longest Yard, playing an ex-football player in prison.

But perhaps his most successful undertaking was the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit in which his character is hired to smuggle a trailer full of bootleg beer over state lines.

In 1998 he received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a porn film producer in Boogie Nights.

Reynolds also turned down some of the biggest roles in Hollywood including James Bond and Han Solo.

Last year he received critical acclaim for his performance in the indie film The Last Movie Star.