Hal Needham

Hal Brett Needham (March 6, 1931 – October 25, 2013) was an American stuntman, movie director, actor, and writer. He is known for directing the 1971 comedy movie "Smokey and the Bandit" and "The Cannonball Run". Needham received the Taurus World Stunt Awards Lifetime Achievement Award. 
Needham was born on March 6, 1931 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas and in St. Louis, Missouri. 
Needham was married to Dani Crayne from 1981 until they divorced in 1996. Then he was married to Ellyn Wynne Williams from 1996 until his death in 2013. Needham died on October 25, 2013 from cancer in Los Angeles, California, aged 82.