TORONTO — James Best, who played Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on the Dukes of Hazzard, died Monday night. He was 88.
Best died in a hospice in Hickory, NC from complications of pneumonia.
An air force gunner in World War II, he started acting in 1950 and appeared in hundreds of TV shows and films.
His big screen credits include Ode to Billy Joe and Seven Angry Men.
On television, he appeared on such well known series as Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, The Mod Squad and The Fugitive.
But it was his role on Dukes of Hazzard, which ran from 1979 to 1985, for which he is most recognized.
In his latter years, Best taught at a Florida university, worked as a drama coach and ran a production company. In 2009, he published an autobiography, Best in Hollywood: The Good, The Bad and The Beautiful.
In 2013, Best reached an out-of-court settlement with Warner Bros. after he sued the studio for royalties from Hazzard merchandise.
Best is survived by his third wife Dorothy. He has a son, Gary, and daughters JoJami and Janeen from previous marriages, as well as three grandchildren. His son-in-law is actor-singer Michael Damian.
“Only thing that makes me sad about having so little time left is leaving the people I love and those who love me,” Best wrote in his autobiography.
“There are also films and other projects that I want to get done, and there are always fish that need catching.”
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