‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ Star Ben “Cooter” Jones Has Died
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The Dukes of Hazzard fans and stars are mourning the sudden passing of Ben Jones.
Ben Jones, the actor who portrayed Cooter on The Dukes of Hazzard, has died at the age of 84.
Ben Jones appeared in all seven seasons of The Dukes of Hazzard as Cooter Davenport, a fun-loving mechanic and honorary brother of Luke and Bo Duke.
Jones’ wife, Alma Viator, announced his death in a post on social media. She wrote that he suffered a heart attack while “home resting in his favorite chair waiting for the Braves to come on and whoop the Yankees.” Ben’s death comes just three weeks before he would have turned 85.
Ben Jones’ Career
Jones was best known for his role in The Dukes of Hazzard, but his resume reveals an impressive list of theater, television, and movie roles, including a supporting role in the Burt Reynolds classic Smokey and the Bandit, the soap opera “As The World Turns,” and many more roles too numerous to mention.
Following the success of The Dukes of Hazzard, Jones pursued politics. He served two terms in the United States Congress as a representative from the Fourth District of Georgia.
He returned to acting, but continued to contribute to political discussions with regular appearances on shows such as “O’Reilly” and “Hardball.” He also wrote opinion pieces and columns for magazines and newspapers. His work could be found in the Washington Post, USA Today, and The Weekly Standard.
Stars Remember Ben Jones
Following news of his death, tributes began to surface on social media. Tom Wopat, who starred as Luke Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard, was among the first to honor his late friend. Wopat wrote:
“The Dukes of Hazzard lost another integral part of their cast today. 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.”
Jones is being remembered as a “class act” who always took time with his fans.
