Valentino? Gable? Brando? Pitt? Poo on them.
The ’70s and ’80s, when gents opened doors for ladies and ladies wore drawers, Hollywood’s handsomest was Burt Reynolds. Movies like “Smokey and the Bandit,” “The Cannonball Run,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Hot star. Big moneymaker. Sex symbol.
Now 82, no longer flashing his seminaked bits for magazines that lived off his lively love life, he’s back. Starring in “The Last Movie Star.”
Burt: “I have no ego. If I did I know somewhere I’d get a kick in the ass. Truth is, it’s not easy for us. Hard being married to a big star.
People expect pearls to fall out of your mouth. Doesn’t happen. Life is just not roses and lollipops.
“It’s not like now I sit home watching my old films. I don’t even have them. Every Friday, I teach an acting class. Evenings maybe watch ‘Law & Order.’ I like Mariska Hargitay. I got a crush on her. I live in Florida. My best friend stays with me. And I’m not saying these days I can’t do everything I once did — let’s just say I can still do it all . . . only slower.”
This new film, with Chevy Chase in it, is about a once big star attending his junky lifetime achievement award ceremony in downtown Nashville, Tenn.
“We shot five weeks. Georgia and Tennessee. I didn’t find it hard. It’s been a long time, and I thought to myself, ‘Now, whathehell did I used to do?’ The story was perfect for me, so I knew I had to say yes. The director was kind about ideas I might’ve had. I never saw the dailies. I only watched the film when it was over.
“Difficulty was with the girl playing my assistant and driver. She was mouthy. I never worked with someone like that. I told her, ‘Don’t do that. Do not talk to me like that.’ And it stopped.”
Not exactly planning to tour Yuma and Fargo, Burt Reynolds says: “But I will come to New York and do PR for ‘The Last Movie Star.’ ”
Here’s who’s winning
Oscar money’s on Sam Rockwell, Allison Janney, Frances McDormand, Greta Gerwig, Fox Searchlight’s “The Shape of Water” and “Three Billboards.”
Seasons ago, Harvey was gift-wrapped as the “Master Oscar Campaigner.” His trick? The very day a Weinstein film was an announced nominee, he’d mail screeners to the full Screen Actors Guild membership. With longtime, old-time SAG Neanderthals ailing and failing, he knew they were actually bailing. Many rarely lumbered forth to a theater to see a movie.
And why didn’t Jane Goodall’s adored documentary “Jane” get any nominations? Hollywood’s hot on racism, hot on feminism, hot on ageism, cold on animalism? The academy awards those who play pimps — so what’ve they got against chimps?
Their life on film
From today’s new young motion picture hotshot Timothée Chalamet:
“We grew up in France and my sister saw much of our own younger lives replicated in my movie ‘Call Me by Your Name.’ ”
An emcee muses
A Jimmy Kimmel-ism: “Emceeing Oscars the first time is a crapshoot. Asked back is getting a blue ribbon.
“With confidence you can prepare for things to go wrong — but you can’t come off too prepared. When you’re married to that script, you can’t go off it.
“Strange to look at a room laughing when it’s a room full of Nicole Kidman and Jack Nicholson.”
A screenwriter about a nominated fellow screenwriter: “Oh, he’s talented. He actually has his writing in the Library of Congress — on the men’s-room wall.”
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.