Best known for his role as the bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on the hit 1980s television show “The Dukes of Hazzard,” actor James Best has died at the age of 88.
Monday night, at a hospice center in Hickory, North Carolina, after suffering from a brief illness following complications from pneumonia, as reported by The LA Times, Best passed away peacefully. According to a statement from Steve Latshaw, a spokesman for the family, these were the circumstances surrounding the beloved actor’s death.
Best first became an actor in the 1950s, taking on small roles in television shows and Western films, before finally landing the coveted role as Sheriff Rosco on the fun, recently revitalized series (as a movie starring Jessica Simpson and Johnny Knoxville). The name for short shorts that are worn by females in the hot months, short jean shorts to be particular, have gone by the nickname “Daisy Dukes,” originating from the character Daisy in the show, who was often featured wearing very skimpy jean shorts.
Best appeared in hundreds of TV episodes including shows like “The Twilight Zone,” “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Gunsmoke.”
It was his role as Rosco P. Coltrane which left an indelible mark on the entertainment landscape. In a 2009 interview with the Charlotte Observer, The LA Times shares that Best said of his part: “I acted the part as good as I could.” He went on, “Rosco – let’s face it – was a charmer. It was a fun thing.”
Best also shared that he missed what he referred to as the “golden days” of Hollywood, when “they used to have talent instead of reality stars.”
Actor James Best enjoyed spending his later days in Florida, fishing, living with his wife and family. According to the LA Times, Best and his wife left Hollywood right after “The Dukes of Hazzard” finished filming. “He was burned out on Hollywood, he told The LA Times and as he said, “Florida was where “I’d put it all together.””
Best taught many living legends and helped them refine their acting craft. Students over the years included: Burt Reynolds, Clint Eastwood, Gary Busey and Quentin Tarantino. For a time, as shared by The LA Times, he taught at the University of Central Florida.
Best is survived by his wife, Dorothy Collier, son Gary Allen Best, daughters, JoJami Best Tyler and Janeen Damian, and three grandchildren.
His play called “Hell Bent for Good Times,” a comedy-drama about an Ozark family laughing their way through the Great Depression might be a fair representation and wonderful insight into the mind and spirit of this cherished actor, James Best.
