Here’s what Burt Reynolds thought about the Ga. film industry and Macon Film Festival

Actor Burt Reynolds, who starred in films including “Deliverance” and “Boogie Nights” and appeared in Macon a few years ago, has died, the Associated Press is reporting.

Reynolds, 82, last appeared here in 2015 during the Macon Film Festival. The festival showed a screening of “Deliverance,” and the actor appeared for a question and answer session after the film.

The festival also showed Reynolds’s film “Sharky’s Machine” followed by audience interaction with the actor.

The Telegraph interviewed Reynolds before the festival.

“Every film I did that was kind of successful was done in Georgia,” Reynolds, who was born in Waycross, told a Telegraph reporter. “I don’t know how many films I did there, but an awful lot. Florida was a little P.O.’d about it, but I didn’t care.”

Reynolds was the festival’s first choice to get as a special guest for its 10th anniversary.

“ ‘Deliverance’ was the first special screening we did because it’s a great Georgia-based film. Ten years later, the film industry has grown and become a big economic booster. For our 10th year, we wanted to honor the Georgia film industry and pay homage. ... It was the perfect storm because he was filming in Georgia before it was the thing to do, and he has ties to Macon. We’re real excited that he wanted to come,” festival president Julie Wilkerson said at the time.

Festival organizers deemed that year a success, in part due to Reynolds’s appearance.

Reynolds said at the time he was glad to add to the hype surrounding the festival.

“I think it’s important that film festivals are burgeoning and coming to towns like Macon,” he said.

This story was originally published September 6, 2018 at 4:04 PM.