“The Cannonball Run” Star Alfie Wise Passes At 82

Alfie Wise, the quick-witted character actor who often popped up alongside his friend Burt Reynolds in some of Hollywood’s most beloved action comedies, has died at the age of 82. The actor passed away from natural causes on July 22 at the Thomas H. Corey Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Palm Beach, Florida. 

He is survived by his fiancée, Stephanie Bliss. The news was first confirmed by the Altoona Mirror and later shared by The Hollywood Reporter.

“We are deeply saddened to share that our agent, Alfie Wise, has passed away,” Donohue Real Estate wrote in a Facebook post on July 30. “Whenever there was a company get-together, Alfie was always there, smiling and chatting with everyone.”

“Not only was Alfie a pleasure to work with as a successful Realtor, but he was an accomplished actor. He frequently worked with his friend, Burt Reynolds, including in the classic film Smokey and the Bandit. You may also have watched him as a regular in the TV shows BL Stryker, Trauma Center, and S Club 7 in Miami,” the post read further.

The Facebook post closed with, “We will greatly miss Alfie’s sense of humor, positive attitude, and charming personality. We send our thoughts and prayers to his loved ones.”

Casting director Lori Wyman, who worked with Alfie on B.L. Stryker and S Club 7, remembered him fondly: “Sad to have heard my pal Alfie Wise passed away. Funny, talented guy!”

For many moviegoers, Alfie’s face was as familiar as his warm smile. Whether trading barbs with Burt in Hooper and The Cannonball Run or popping up for a brief but memorable moment in Stroker Ace, Alfie had a knack for making the smallest roles unforgettable. Off-camera, the two men shared an 18-year friendship that blended professional collaboration with genuine affection. 

At Burt’s wedding to Loni Anderson in 1988, Alfie even joked, “I thought [the wedding] would be you and I!”

After decades in film and television, Alfie stepped away from the spotlight in the early 2000s. His last credited role was a lighthearted appearance on the CBBC sitcom S Club 7 in Miami, filmed in the very state he would call home. From there, he reinvented himself as a Florida real estate agent, and by all accounts, was just as beloved in the business world as he was in Hollywood.