Burt Reynolds’ Wild Behavior on The Dukes of Hazzard Set Revealed

Burt Reynolds brought plenty of unpredictability to the set of 2005’s The Dukes of Hazzard, according to director Jay Chandrasekhar.

Chandrasekhar, known for Super Troopers, said Reynolds initially asked to direct the film after being offered the role of Boss Hogg. He eventually accepted the part, but his lack of preparation soon became a challenge.

During one scene, Reynolds had not memorized his lines, so the crew wrote them on note cards and taped them to Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott’s chests. Reynolds read the cards while performing the scene.

The following day, he again struggled with his lines and repeatedly punched the air near Chandrasekhar’s face between takes. Reynolds was taking strong painkillers because of his back problems, and Chandrasekhar began preparing himself in case the actor actually hit him.

The situation became even stranger when Reynolds summoned Chandrasekhar and a Warner Bros. producer to his trailer. Wearing white pants and a tank top with a black toupee, Reynolds criticized Chandrasekhar’s previous work and showed him a DVD titled Burt Reynolds: Why My Back Hurts. It featured a collection of Reynolds’ famous movie stunts.

Despite the difficult moments, The Dukes of Hazzard was completed on schedule. The film earned more than twice its reported $53 million budget. Reynolds continued acting in numerous films before his death in 2018 at age 82.