What To Know
- Ben Jones, best known for playing Cooter Davenport on The Dukes of Hazzard, has died at age 84.
- Jones had a diverse career as an actor in theater, film, and television.
- Beyond acting, he was active in the Screen Actors Guild, led the Georgia Film Commission, and served two terms in Congress.
Ben Jones, the actor best known for his role as Cooter Davenport in The Dukes of Hazzard and for serving four years in the United States House of Representatives, has died. He was 84.
His wife, Alma Viator, announced his passing on Facebook on Sunday (August 9), writing, “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.”
She added, “Ben had the most amazing, rich, full life. He loved and was loved by so many. He will be missed. I loved him so much.”
Born on August 30, 1941, in Tarboro, North Carolina, Jones began his acting career while studying at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he performed with the Carolina Playmakers. He started making money by acting in “summer stock” and at the outdoor drama “Unto These Hills” in Cherokee, North Carolina.
In 1969, Jones relocated to Atlanta, acting with the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Children’s Theatre, the Theatre of the Stars, and the Winter Playhouse. He also started acting on-screen, first in television commercials and then in supporting roles in films, including Together For Days, Smokey and the Bandit, The Lincoln Conspiracy, and more.
His most important movie role would turn out to be an independent film called The Moonrunners, directed by Gy Waldron and starring Waylon Jennings. The film later served as the basis for The Dukes of Hazzard, which began production in 1978. Jones was cast in the show as Cooter Davenport, the sidekick mechanic of cousins Bo and Luke Duke.
The show became an instant hit, attracting tens of millions of viewers weekly on CBS. Jones starred in all seven seasons of the original show from 1979 to 1985, as well as the 1997 “Reunion” movie and the 2000 one-off special Hazzard in Hollywood.
His other TV credits included The Magical World of Disney, Benji, Zax & the Alien Prince, Sliders, As the World Turns, and Surface.
Outside of acting, Jones served as president of SAG’s Georgia branch and as chairman of the Georgia Film Commission before running for Congress in Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District in 1988. He won the race by 20 points and was re-elected in 1990.
While in Congress, Jones served as a Democratic whip, was a member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and was a member of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation. He ran against Newt Gingrich in another district in 1994 and lost.
Fellow Dukes star, Tom Wopat, paid tribute to Jones on Instagram, writing, “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.”