Rich, famous and tussling with the taxman

Burt Reynolds

The star: The '70s heartthrob and one-time Cosmopolitan centerfold is best known for his Southern-fried comedic roles in "Smokey and the Bandit" and "The Cannonball Run," and pitch-perfect dramatic turns in "Deliverance" and "Boogie Nights."

Amount owed: $225,000

What happened: Eyebrows shot up when Reynolds appeared as No. 247 on the California Franchise Tax Board's 2009 list of the state's 250 biggest tax deadbeats for a tax bill dating back to 1996. At 77, Reynolds remains one of America's most enduring stars, popular for voiceover work ("All Dogs Go to Heaven") and TV and film roles, including the Adam Sandler remake of his own 1974 hit, "The Longest Yard." Then again, his bitter 1993 divorce settlement from Loni Anderson was a whopper.

The outcome: Much ado about nothing, apparently. The actor's spokesman Jeffrey Lane told The Associated Press that Reynolds paid his debt more than a decade ago and asked California to kindly remove the Bandit from its tax bandit list.