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Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mark Wahlberg, and Reba McEntire are leading the tributes to movie legend Burt Reynolds following his death on Thursday..

The screen icon passed away in a Florida hospital on Thursday, aged 82, after suffering a cardiac arrest, and as the news hit headlines, friends and fans took to Twitter to honor one of the biggest film stars of the late 1970s and early 1980s, thanks to a string of hits, including Deliverance, The Longest Yard, Smokey and the Bandit, Sharky's Machine, and The Cannonball Run. He also enjoyed a career resurgence in the mid-1990s thanks to roles in Striptease and Boogie Nights, which earned him an Oscar nomination.

Action man Schwarzenegger was among the first celebrities to comment on Reynolds' loss, heaping praise on the former Florida State University college football star, who turned to acting after a knee injury ended his sporting dreams.

"Burt Reynolds was one of my heroes," Arnold wrote. "He was a trailblazer. He showed the way to transition from being an athlete to being the highest paid actor, and he always inspired me. He also had a great sense of humor… My thoughts are with his family."

Country singer and actress Reba, who worked with Burt in 1993 TV movie The Man from Left Field, shared, "My good friend has started a new journey. Rest in my peace my friend. I'll never forget the wonderful times we spent together," and his Boogie Nights co-star Mark Wahlberg added, "Rest in peace to a legend and a friend."

"RIP Burt Reynolds. Seems his whole career was tongue in cheek. Always warm and funny," remembered British comedian Ricky Gervais, and Karate Kid star Ralph Macchio wrote, "As a kid I must have seen Smokey and the Bandit 10 times in the theatre. Met Burt Reynolds a few years back… so glad I did. Deliverance, Boogie Nights… some great ones. RIP".

"Sad to hear of the passing of legend, Burt Reynolds," tweeted Elijah Wood, while rapper and reality TV personality Vanilla Ice added, "What a tramatic (sic) week. Now today. My good friend Bert (sic) Reynolds has passed away. Feeling super emotional right now. Long live The #Legend #Bandit #BurtReynolds you will be missed."

"Burt Reynolds was the best, funniest super hero on this planet…He was a friend and I'll miss him!! Nobody was better than him…dashing, charming and just so lovable!!" wrote David Hasselhoff, as actor Bruce Campbell recalled, "Burt! Met him on Burn Notice. He was the real deal. It was an honor to work with him and get to know the man a little bit. Ride on, Bandit!"

And director Kevin Smith posted, "As THE movie star of my childhood, the Bandit stole our hearts for decades. I always loved how Burt Reynolds worked with his friends as often as he could and then showcased the fun of movie-making in the end credits of his flicks. He was true American icon. Hate to see him go…"

Reynolds, who underwent heart surgery in 2010, was involved in Quentin Tarantino's new movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood at the time of his death. It is not clear if he had finished shooting his scenes in the period drama.

He opened up about his life and career in a 2015 memoir, titled But Enough About Me, and spoke fondly of his feelings for longtime girlfriend and Smokey and the Bandit co-star Sally Field.

He was also linked romantically to Dinah Shore, Goldie Hawn, Farrah Fawcett, and tennis star Chris Evert, and he was married to British actress Judy Carne in the 1960s and Loni Anderson from 1988 to 1993.

His costly divorce from Anderson and a series of bad investments contributed to a huge debt that forced Reynolds to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1996. He auctioned off a series of movie mementos and properties to escape his financial difficulties.

He is survived by his son Quinton, who he adopted with Anderson.