One of his early roles was on the legendary TV WesternGunsmoke.
During one scene, his character famously goes over a waterfall.
Reynolds later revealed he nearly drowned while filming it.
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Reynolds himself had played college football at Florida State before injuries sidelined his sports career.
In 2018, Reynolds named Fieldthe “love of his life.”
The film was both a romantic comedy and a send-up of the late-1970s new age, self-improvement movement.
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Reynolds reportedly requested his character be a former Steelers player because he was a fan of the team.
He starred alongside up-and-coming starsMark Wahlberg,Philip Seymour Hoffman,John C. Reilly, and more.
Though Reynolds clashed with directorPaul Thomas Anderson, the film is regarded as some of their best work individually.
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It went on to become one of the highest-grossing comedy remakes post-1980.
The film draws heavily upon imagery and clips from Reynolds' own career.
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