How a Bluffton actress shared a final, sweet moment with Burt Reynolds

Actress Simone Griffeth of Bluffton shared the stage with Burt Reynolds two months ago.

Reynolds, who died Thursday at 82, was the main attraction at the inaugural RKDS Film Fest in Valdosta, Ga.

But Griffeth, the always stunningly-beautiful child of Mack and Frances Griffeth growing up on Bluffton’s May River, also was a headliner.

Like Reynolds, who made nine movies in Georgia, Griffeth was there to help tell the world that South Georgia has more Hollywood pizzazz than people think.

Griffeth was only 20 when she starred in a movie made near Valdosta, “Sixteen.” And, coming full circle, she stars in the 2014 movie “Untouched” made in Savannah and now available on Amazon Prime.

Word that Reynolds, the old and aching “Bandit,” would attend the Valdosta festival spread faster than a Pontiac Trans Am.

He introduced the showing of three of his films, “Smokey and the Bandit,” “Gator” and “The Last Movie Star.”

And Griffeth introduced showings of “Sixteen” and “Untouched.”

It was the first time the two met.

“He was very, very nice to me and had lovely words about his experience in Georgia,” Griffeth said. “He spoke very eloquently and beautifully about the people of Georgia.”

Reynolds is called the grandfather of the film industry in Georgia.

He said at the film festival that it dates to his warm welcome by then-Gov. Jimmy Carter after the governor of his native Florida gave him the cold shoulder about filming “The Longest Yard” in 1974.

Georgia is now No. 1 in the film industry nationally, out-performing California, said festival organizer Roy Kirkland.

“We wanted to bring light to the film industry in South Georgia,” Kirkland said. “It does exist south of Atlanta and Macon.”

That’s why he wanted to bring Griffeth to the stage.

“I love her to death,” Kirkland said. “She is just a class act. She was so glamorous. Here she is sitting next to Burt Reynolds and she shines like a true star.”

Both Kirkland and Griffeth said they knew Reynolds was hurting.

“It was hard to see him in bad shape,” Griffeth said. “You could tell he wasn’t well.”

Kirkland said, “He told me the pains he was in.”

Griffeth said it was appropriate that they saw Reynolds in the 2018 film, “The Last Movie Star.”

“It’s a very thought-provoking film,” she said. “It’s an old man looking back on his life. Its a tragic comedy. I highly recommend it.”

Kirkland said the Reynolds, by making the Valdosta one of his last public appearances, is a big reason he already has 500 submissions for films to be shown at the 2019 festival.

This story was originally published September 7, 2018 at 1:25 PM.