Northwestern University Communications Professor Jacob Smith is the author of numerous publications about Burt Reynolds, including the book “The Thrill Makers: Celebrity, Masculinity, and Stunt Performance” and an article published in Film Criticism titled “Showing Off: Laughter and Excessive Disclosure in Burt Reynolds’ Star Image.” Smith is also the author of the Burt Reynolds entry in “The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture.” 

Smith can speak to the peak of Reynolds’ celebrity in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as what made him distinctive as a new kind of male movie star, known not only for his film roles but also for his television talk show appearances and his nude centerfold. 

Professor Smith can be reached at [email protected]

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