Beloved Burt Reynolds Sidekick Dies at 82

Alfie Wise, the energetic character actor known for his long-running collaborations with Burt Reynolds, has died at the age of 82. His fiancée, Stephanie Bliss, confirmed that he passed away of natural causes on July 22 at the Thomas H. Corey Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Palm Beach, Florida.

Wise became a familiar face in some of the most iconic Reynolds films of the 1970s and ’80s. His credits alongside the Hollywood legend include The Longest Yard (1974), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Hooper (1978), The Cannonball Run (1981), Paternity (1981), Stroker Ace (1983), and City Heat (1984).

In addition to his big-screen work, Wise also appeared with Reynolds on the television shows BL Stryker and Evening Shade, and even served as the actor’s assistant behind the scenes.

“He loved his friends, and he really kept us very close,” Wise once said of Reynolds following his death in 2018. “His films were like an ongoing block party. I think the audience caught on to that. You always knew you were going to have a great time with a Burt Reynolds movie.”

Outside of his Reynolds collaborations, Wise built a solid resume of TV and film credits. He appeared in Midway and Swashbuckler (both in 1976), Hot Stuff (1979), Rad (1986), and Catherine’s Grove (1997). He also popped up in episodes of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, The Jeffersons, The Sandy Duncan Show, and Tour of Duty.

Born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Wise graduated from Altoona Area High School in 1960 before heading to Penn State University. He later served in the U.S. Navy before diving into an entertainment career in the early ‘70s. His screen debut came in the 1972 TV movie Call Her Mom, and he followed that up with a regular role on The Sandy Duncan Show.

In 1983, he played paramedic Sidney Pacelli in the ABC medical drama Trauma Center, alongside Lou Ferrigno and James Naughton.

After decades in the industry, Wise stepped away from acting in 2000 and began a second career as a real estate agent in Jupiter, Florida.

Reflecting on his friendship with Reynolds in the late 1970s, Wise told his hometown newspaper, the Altoona Mirror, “I’ve been very lucky to get to know and work with such a good friend. Burt is one of the true gentlemen in the business as well as a caring and warm man.”