Smokin’
Despite the studio’s initial preference for another actor, Reynolds was influential enough to convince them to cast Field in Smokey and the Bandit. Maybe he recognised something in her, because their on-screen romance quickly blossomed into something more serious off-screen.
An event to be remembered
For the next five years, Field and Reynolds’ relationship was on-and-off. During that period, they also teamed up on four films: Smokey and the Bandit, Smokey and the Bandit II, The End, and Hopper. However, the connection between Field and Reynolds off-screen was arguably more intriguing than in the movies themselves.