Sheriff Buford T. Justice is the fictional character played by Jackie Gleason in the movies Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983).[1] As a determined, foul-mouthed Texas county sheriff, he chases the Bandit, played by Burt Reynolds in the first two movies, across the southern United States on several occasions with no success, sometimes being right next to Bandit without noticing it. According to Smokey and the Bandit II, he has two brothers, Gaylord Justice and Reginald Van Justice, both also played by Jackie Gleason.
In Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, Buford T. Justice claims to have chased the Bandit for over 3,000 miles and across 20 states, although the first two movies only show him chasing Bandit through 6-7 states. Buford also has a son who he only calls "Junior", played by Mike Henry.
"Buford T. Justice" was the name of a real Florida Highway Patrolman known to Burt Reynolds' father, who himself was once Chief of Police of Jupiter, Florida. His father was also the inspiration for the word "sumbitch" used in the movie, a phrase he reportedly uttered quite often, according to Reynolds. Jackie Gleason was given quite free rein over ad-libbing dialogue and making suggestions. In particular, the scene where Sheriff Justice unknowingly encounters the Bandit in the "choke and puke," was not in the original story, it was Gleason's idea.