Legendary actor Burt Reynolds passed away on Thursday, Sept. 6, from cardiac arrest in Martin County, Florida. According to CNN, Reynolds had a history of drug problems and heart complications for many years prior to his death, even getting heart surgery in 2010.

At a very young age Reynolds moved to south Florida where he became a promising football star earning himself a full ride scholarship to Florida State University. Unfortunately, his college football career was met with many injuries and eventually he was forced to give up the sport in his sophomore year.

Upon the collapse of his football career, he turned to acting, starting in the early 1950’s with some small roles in movies and television, even getting a role in a few plays. From that point on, his career took off and he landed many major roles that led to him lasting five years as Hollywood’s top box-office draw, which, according to Vanity Fair, is a feat that no actor since has managed to pull off. Reynolds was so popular at his peak in the 1970’s that he was approached to play Han Solo in Star Wars, John McClane in Die Hard, and even James Bond, all of which he turned down. Per IMDB, he won over 30 awards during his time as an actor, and was nominated for another 27, including an Oscar nomination for his role in Boogie Nights.

Reynolds was also the frontrunner of ex-athletes coming over to Hollywood after their sports careers were over. Arnold Schwarzenegger even cites him as “one of [his] heroes… and [Reynolds] always inspired [him].” Since Reynolds, countless other athletes have turned towards acting. For some, it is as freshman Chembe Fontama describes, “a backup plan after sports” for those whose athletic careers are over. Overall, many people enjoy seeing individuals they once knew as athletes take on an entirely different role as an actor. However some might be against this transition as they believe these athletes coming to Hollywood are just in it for the money. Math teacher Vale Crain says, “If you can act, who cares?” which is the attitude of most when asked about professional athletes becoming Hollywood stars.

Sadly, despite Reynolds’ impressive career and large impact on the American film industry, his importance is lost on the younger generations of today, as many people do not even know who he is. Out of 22 Issaquah High School students scattered across all four grade levels, only five knew who Reynolds was, and only one out of those five, senior Ahsen Ali, truly appreciated Reynolds and his famed career. Ali even went as far as calling Reynolds “one of those actors that comes around once every century.”

Throughout the 70s and 80s, few actors even got close to reaching Reynolds’ level of popularity, and he became an icon to the teenagers of that time period. According to sophomore Warren Singer, “My dad is pretty sad as he watched [Burt Reynolds] a lot as kid,” and junior Tristan Griffith said, “When my mom heard about his death she was pretty upset. She watched him a lot when she was younger.” While to the majority of today’s younger generations, Reynolds will not receive the recognition that he truly deserves for everything he accomplished in his 60-year time as an actor. He will always be revered as an all-time great for those of the older generations who saw Reynolds grace the big screen and top the charts with his unrivaled acting ability.