(Newser)
– Burt Reynolds reached his final resting place Thursday in a Hollywood cemetery. A small private ceremony, with relatives participating remotely via Zoom, was held on Thursday morning at the Hollywood Forever cemetery, where Reynolds’ cremated remains were placed in a grave next to a lake almost two and a half years after his death in September 2018 at the age of 82. A temporary tombstone with the simple reading of “Burt Reynolds” now marks the spot, but a bronze or stone bust of it is being ordered, hoping to be revealed and opened to the public in September, on the third anniversary of his death. , says the head of the cemetery to the AP. After the ceremony on Thursday, a wreath and flowers covered the tomb, and a lone fan appeared with a tiny Trans Am, the car that became synonymous with Reynolds through his Smokey and the bad guy films, and placed him in the grave.
It is unclear why it took so long for the grave site to be established, and Reynolds’ surviving relatives, seeking privacy after his death, did not disclose the process. His niece Nancy Hess is the supervisor of his estate, whose legal and financial affairs were settled and closed in December. Reynolds’ grave, also known for its transformations in films like Release, alligator, and Boogie Nights, for which he was nominated for an Oscar – is near the grave of actor Tyrone Power and across the lake from rockers Johnny Ramone and Chris Cornell. The cemetery, founded in 1899 and located near the Paramount Pictures lot, also houses the tombs and mausoleums of Judy Garland, Cecil B. DeMille, Rudolph Valentino and Douglas Fairbanks. The cemetery has become a historic landmark and cultural center in Los Angeles, home to pre-pandemic shows and film screenings.
(Read more stories by Burt Reynolds.)