Aired between 1979 and 1986 on the CBSin Italy it was initially broadcast on Canale5 and then on Italia1 between 1981 and 1986, Hazzardwhose original title is The Dukes of Hazzardis a series created by Gy Waldron, an American screenwriter nominated for a Emmy come best writer of a miniseries per Billionaire Boys Club (Young Murdersthe title in Italian).
The series, produced by Warner Bros, was conceived starting from the film Moonrunners, also written by Gy Waldron. Many characters from the 1975 film were taken and relocated to the fictional county of Hazzard, in rural Georgia.
Hazzard tells the adventures of the Duke family composed by Uncle Jesse and cousins Bo, Luke and Daisy. Bo and Luke are on parole after being caught smuggling home-brewed booze by state troopers. They live by a thousand gimmicks trying to escape the clutches of the evil Boss Hogg, the rich mayor of the county, with his hands in various shady deals and assisted by Sheriff Rosco and his deputy Enos.
Duke cousins have the ability to always get into trouble but every time they manage to get away with helping, often and willingly, even Boss Hogg and the sheriff. Features of the adventures told in the series are car chases: on the one hand the General Lee1969 Dodge Charger, orange with the doors locked, the Confederate flag on the roof and the horn that plays the first notes of the famous Southern song Dixie’s Land; and on the other the police cars and the white Cadillac De Ville convertible with large bull horns as a hood ornament.
But what happened to everyone? Considering the years of airing and the advancing age of some actors already at the time, unfortunately not all of them are still with us. Let’s see better in detail by also analyzing the subsequent possible career post Hazzard starting with the actor who played Uncle Jesse.
The career of Denver Pyle saw him play over 250 roles between 1947, an appearance in the opening scene of Blame Janet Amesand 1997, as Uncle Jesse in a television movie titled Hazzard twenty years latera few months before he died.
After 146 episodes as the bearded uncle Denver Pyle, who was already 65 years old, divided his career between television film and appearance in television series very successful as Love Boat, Dallas, Murder, She Wrote e Lawyers in Los Angeles. She also had a minor role in Maverickfilm by Richard Donner with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster.
Beauregard Duke, better known as Bo, was played John Schneider born in 1960. The career of the blond cousin begins with this iconic role: the actor, in fact, was just eighteen when he auditioned for the part. He didn’t even know how to drive a car which he learned to do on the set Of Hazzard (although he never did anything particularly acrobatic to disappoint his fans).
In 1985, after 128 episodes, John Schneider is one of the most famous actors in America but his career does not see him starring in particular films or series. In the 1992 for twelve episodes is Larry Lamont in When you love and between the 1993 and 1998 is recurrent in cast Of The Lady of the West. He makes a few appearances in series such as ME – Avvocati in divisa, Walker Texas Ranger e A detective in the ward.
After playing his best known character again in Hazzard twenty years later (1997) e Hazzard: Bo and Luke go to Hollywood (2000), both TV movies, John Schneider is, for 117 episodes, Jonathan Kent in Smallvillebetween 2001 and 2017. In this period, however, she has other roles in rather well-known series such as Desperate Housewives, The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Nip/Tuck. Between 2013 and 2021for 145 episodes, and Jim Cryer in The Haves and the Have Nots.
Alongside his career as an actor John Schneider supports that of director (he shot the last episode of the series Hazzard, among other things) and screenwriter. But also as a musician by publishing nine albums and eighteen singles many of which have reached the top of the most important American charts (and one of his cover Of It’s Now or Never of Elvis Presley is among the most famous ever).
Luke Duke is played by Tom Wopatborn in 1951. Like John Schneider, his career began with Hazzard. After, the next major role comes in 1995: and Jeff Robbins in it sitcom conceived and written by Chuck Lorre, Cybill. In the 2005after the two television films already mentioned, he finds his colleague playing a senator in Smallville It is in the 2012 is the US Marshall Gil Tatum in Django Unchained by Quentin Tarantino.
Unlike the blond cousin Tom Wopat’s career is more geared towards the theaterespecially the musical of Broadway where it enjoys an important success. And like his cousin he also recorded a dozen albums and thirteen singles. He approached directing shooting five episodes of Hazzard between 1983 and 1985 but has no active assignment as a screenwriter.
We conclude the Duke family with the cousin, Diasy, played by Catherine Bachborn in 1954. Considered a breathtaking beauty enough to sell over 5 million of her calendar, crush of at least a couple of generations, Catherine Bach landed the role on the spot, despite the production looking for a Dolly Patton lookalike. She at the time she was known for playing Melody in A 20 gauge for the specialistfilm written and directed by Michael Cimino and starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges and George Kennedy.
After starring in Hazzard Catherine Bach got minor roles in little-known films. On television, between 1992 and 1994was featured as Margo Dutton in African Skiesa drama series set in post-apartheid South Africa.
Dal 2012 al 2019 is part of cast from the soap opera The fever of love.
Jefferson Davis “JD” Hogg, better known as Boss Hogg, was played by Sorrell Booke(1930-1994). The American actor, who got a nomination garlic Emmy in 1964 as best supporting actor for a role in the series of Doctor Kildarehad a career full of satisfaction even if the real success he obtained it only playing the despicable head of the county of Hazzard.
He practically stopped hitting the sets with his most iconic role but he continued as a voice actor until a few months before his death. In subsequent television films the character of Boss Hogg is mentioned and fondly remembered by those of the old cast who are still alive.
Boss Hogg’s right-hand man, Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, was played by James Best(1926-2015). The actor’s career started in 1950 and ended in 2013, a couple of years before his death. In the middle Jewel Franklin Guy, his real name, played a lot: series and films for television and motion pictures. The latter mainly themed western.
But the role that immortalized him in everyone’s memory is, of course, that of the clumsy and silly sheriff, always on the hunt for the Duke cousins. After almost 150 episodes James Best was entrusted with minor roles in minor productions. The actor, however, devoted the rest of his life to teach acting as well as produce a number of music albums countrybeing a very good musician.
There are still two rather iconic characters within this series that left an indelible mark on viewers, at the turn of the seventies and eighties, due to its breathtaking chases. It’s Deputy Sheriff Enos, played by Sonny Shroyer and the mechanic Cooter, played by Ben Jones.
Born in 1935 Sonny Shroeyer played the naïve Hazzard County deputy sheriff in 98 episodes. His character was so loved by the public that one was conceived and created spin off titled Enos. Unfortunately, the series had little success and was suspended after 18 episodes.
In the 1994 and the coach the football of Tom Hanks’s Forrest GumpDelbert Birdsong ne The Rain Man by Francis Ford Coppola and, in 2004Governor Governor Davis in Ray. His last appearance was in 2018 in an episode of the series The Resident.
Ben Jones (1941), however, ended the episodes of Hazzard Yes is candidate for US Congress in 1986 without getting enough votes to be elected. In 1988, however, also thanks to a corruption scandal involving his opponent, he won the elections and was re-elected one last time in 1990.
After his adventure as a politician Ben Jones resumed his activity as an actor obtaining, among other parts, a role in it The colors of victory with John Travolta, the only notable appearance.
