⚠️This fact has been debunked
Reynolds claimed Cherokee ancestry throughout his career and it appeared in official bios, but Cherokee genealogists found no documentation. This is a fascinating case study in Hollywood identity claims, making the debunking itself the interesting story.
Burt Reynolds claimed to be part Cherokee throughout his career, but genealogists found no evidence to support this.
Burt Reynolds' Cherokee Ancestry Claim Was Never Verified
For decades, Burt Reynolds told the world he was part Cherokee. The claim appeared in official biographies, interviews, and even helped him land Native American roles in films like Navajo Joe (1966) and the TV series Hawk. There was just one problem: genealogists can't find any evidence it was true.
The Claim That Launched a Thousand Roles
Reynolds' supposed Cherokee ancestry became part of his Hollywood brand. He landed Native American roles throughout the 1960s, including the lead in Navajo Joe and parts in 100 Rifles and Hawk. The Florida Department of State's official biography stated his father, Burton Reynolds, was "of Cherokee ancestry."
But when Cherokee genealogist Sam Morningstar investigated, he found no documentation whatsoever. No tribal records, no family trees, no evidence linking the Reynolds family to Cherokee heritage.
A Story That Kept Changing
Red flags appeared when Reynolds couldn't keep his own story straight. Throughout his career, he variously claimed to be:
- Part Cherokee
- Part Creek
- Part Seminole
- Part Italian (through his mother)
Even his birthplace changed depending on when you asked. For years, Reynolds claimed he was born in Waycross, Georgia, leaning into his supposed Southern Native American roots. Then in 2015, he suddenly admitted he was actually born in Lansing, Michigan. Near the end of his life, he backtracked on the Native American claims entirely, saying his ancestry was actually Dutch and English.
What the Records Actually Show
Genealogical research on sites like Geni, WikiTree, and Ancestry.com paint a different picture. Reynolds' documented ancestry includes Dutch, English, Scots-Irish, and Scottish heritage. His father, Burton Milo Reynolds Sr., was a World War II veteran who became police chief of Riviera Beach, Florida. His mother, Harriet Fernette "Fern" Miller, lived from 1902 to 1992.
There's one complicating factor: Reynolds mentioned in his 2014 autobiography that his maternal grandmother was adopted. This leaves a small window of unknown ancestry, but it doesn't explain his specific, repeated claims about Cherokee heritage through his father's side.
Why It Matters
Reynolds wasn't alone in claiming unverified Native American ancestry. The phenomenon became so common it earned a name: "pretendian" identity. For Native American communities, these false claims matter deeply. They can lead to non-Native actors taking roles from Native performers, dilute tribal enrollment, and trivialize genuine Indigenous identity.
The irony is that Reynolds didn't need the claim. He became one of Hollywood's biggest stars of the 1970s and '80s on talent alone, starring in Deliverance, Smokey and the Bandit, and Boogie Nights. But for a crucial period in the '60s, that unverified Cherokee ancestry opened doors that might have otherwise stayed closed.
Burt Reynolds died in 2018, leaving behind a complicated legacy. Legendary actor? Absolutely. Cherokee Indian? The evidence says no.