James Best as Sheriff Rosco from the hit TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. Photo / Getty
The prolific actor best known for his role as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard has died.
James Best was 88.
His wife, Dorothy Best, said he died on Monday night in hospice care from complications of pneumonia.
Best starred on the television series that ran from 1979 to 1985. He was the lawman chasing the Duke brothers.
Dorothy Best says they'd been married 29 years and that he's survived by children and grandchildren.
She said he was an incredible man and an incredible talent.
Best was a staple on several TV shows that stood out in the 60s as well as 70s and 80s.
The Dukes Of Hazzard aired on CBS from 1979 until 1985 and starred Tom Wopat and John Schneider as cousins who drove a red hot rod through a fictional county in Georgia.
They also had a pretty brunette cousin Daisy played by Catherine Bach. She was known for wearing cut-off denim shorts, which to this day are known as Daisy Dukes.
The show also spawned a 2005 movie that starred Jessica Simpson and Johnny Knoxville.
James popped up on everything from Gunsmoke, Mod Squad, I Spy, Bonanza, Perry Mason and Rawhide. He also appeared opposite Humphrey Bogart in 1954 classic The Caine Mutiny early in his career.
But appearing in front of the camera was just one of his jobs.
The vet also opened up an acting school in the 70s. His students included Burt Reynolds, Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino.
He trained two of the biggest blonde TV bombshells of his time - Lindsay Wagner from The Bionic Woman and Farrah Fawcett from Charlie's Angels.
- AP and Daily Mail
The Australian site cited a 'heightened threat level' as the issue.