Dukes Of Hazzard Actor James Best Passes Away

The bumbling sheriff of Hazzard County is gone. Actor James Best, the actor behind Rosco P. Coltrane on the hit show The Dukes Of Hazzard has passed away. He was 88. Best was on over 600 TV shows, but it was his role on The Dukes of Hazzard from 1979 to 1985 that would define his career.

The show was a defining part of my childhood. I loved the Dukes. When my parents would be driving on the gravel roads near my home, I would ask them to "jump it like the General Lee!" My dad would sometimes punch the gas a bit as we were headed towards a hill. As a child, I thought we were airborn. I was always afraid the law would catch up to us.

Best was also a teacher at heart. For 25 years, Best taught an acting technique class in Hollywood and worked with such celebrities as Gary Busey, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Teri Garr, Farrah Fawcett and Quentin Tarantino. Best was also a huge supporter of the Humane Society. He fought to have his dog Flash patrol with him on the Dukes. He is survived by his wife and three children.