The Dukes of Hazzard star Ben Jones died suddenly on Sunday, August 9. He was 84.
“I lost the love of my life today. Ben passed from a massive heart attack. He was home resting in his favorite chair waiting for the Braves to come on and whoop the Yankees,” Jones’ wife, Alma Viator, wrote via Facebook. “Ben had the most amazing, rich, full life. He loved and was loved by so many. He will be missed. I loved him so, so much.”
Jones, who was married to Viator for nearly 34 years, was best known for his portrayal of mechanic Cooter in the original 1980s action-comedy series.
After his time on the show wrapped in 1985, Jones moved into a career in politics. He won the race for Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District in 1988 and was re-elected in 1990.
Jones also served as president of the Screen Actors Guild’s Georgia branch and as chairman of the Georgia Film Commission. He was also a writer; IMDB attributes 1987’s CBS Summer Playhouse and 1998’s Primary Colors, starring John Travolta and Emma Thompson, to his body of work.
During a 2023 interview with Georgia Public Broadcasting, Jones reflected on his many achievements with a trademark sense of humor. “Sounds like a guy who can’t hold [down] a job to me,” he joked at the time.
Jones also reflected on his time as Cooter, a fictional character widely adored for his crazed energy. “When we started filming that show, I was a child actor at the time. Actually, I was a childish actor. We were just making it up,” he recalled. “It was a wild, crazy show and I was cast for it because I was what they were looking for physically and … I just made it up. I had fun with it, it was hard not to have fun doing what we were doing. I am crazy Cooter.”
The actor starred opposite Catherine Bach, who played Daisy Duke, John Schneider, who played Bo Duke, and Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke. Wopat, 74, took to Instagram on Sunday to share a tribute to his friend and former costar.
“Ben Jones was a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business. He will be sorely missed … Denver Pyle [who played Uncle Jesse Duke on the show] frequently said to Ben, ‘I’m not your Uncle Jesse!’ But I feel like we lost a Duke cousin today,” he wrote.
