Burt Reynolds, who is being sued for allegedly not paying the $1.2 million mortgage on his waterfront Indian Hills estatein, Hobe Sound , on Wednesday said the legal action took him off guard.

A foreclosure lawsuit filed Aug. 9 by Merrill Lynch Credit Corp. against Reynolds, BankAtlantic and Great Eastern Mortgage, contends the Emmy-award winning actor has not made a mortgage payment since Sept. 1, 2010, on the home in the 16000 block of South Federal Highway.

Reynolds, 75, on Wednesday issued a statement through his California publicist Erik Kritzer.

“With regard to the foreclosure action filed by Merrill Lynch on my house, for several reasons I am as surprised as everyone,” Reynolds wrote in an email. “I thought my career and my life could not be going better. To all of the people who have had such faith in me and stuck by me through thick and thin, thank you.

“I know it is not the end of the world,” Reynolds added. “There are a lot of people worse off than I am, and my heart goes out to them. I’ll do like I’ve always done, and try to hold my head up high.”

According to the suit, filed in Martin County Circuit Court, Merrill Lynch is asking a judge to order the home sold to satisfy all debts, and for a receiver to be appointed to the case.