The ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Cast, 40 Years Later: Broadway Stardom, Legal Trouble — And a Loss That Shocked the Hazzard Family — Photos

Mayer’s 1982 publicity portrait presents Vance Duke in the casual plaid-shirt styling associated with the show’s younger male leads. The image captures the brief period when “The Dukes of Hazzard” was introducing him as a new face of Hazzard County. | Source: Getty Images
Mayer’s 1982 publicity portrait presents Vance Duke in the casual plaid-shirt styling associated with the show’s younger male leads. The image captures the brief period when “The Dukes of Hazzard” was introducing him as a new face of Hazzard County. | Source: Getty Images

Mayer died July 23, 2011, in Sherman Oaks, California. He was 57.

Sorrell Booke as Boss Hogg
Sorrell Booke had worked across stage, film and television before “The Dukes of Hazzard.” As Jefferson Davis “Boss” Hogg, he played the scheming Hazzard County commissioner who became one of the series’ most recognizable villains.

Booke died of cancer at his home in Sherman Oaks, California, in February 1994, according to the Los Angeles Times. He was 64.

Booke’s white suit, oversized cowboy hat, and cigar became key parts of Boss Hogg’s visual identity. This 1982 portrait captures the exaggerated look that helped make the character instantly recognizable. | Source: Getty Images
Booke’s white suit, oversized cowboy hat, and cigar became key parts of Boss Hogg’s visual identity. This 1982 portrait captures the exaggerated look that helped make the character instantly recognizable. | Source: Getty Images

Booke also enjoyed restoring older homes and spent about 10 years renovating his residence in Sherman Oaks. He was survived by his daughter, Alexandra; his son, Nicholas; his brother, Frederick; and one grandson.

Denver Pyle as Uncle Jesse
Pyle was already a veteran of Western films and television when he became the Duke family’s Uncle Jesse.

His earlier credits included “The Alamo,” “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” and “Cahill, U.S. Marshal,” along with television appearances on “Bonanza” and “Gunsmoke.”

Denver Pyle brought decades of Western film and television experience to Uncle Jesse, the Duke family patriarch. Before “The Dukes of Hazzard,” his credits included “The Alamo,” “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” “Bonanza,” and “Gunsmoke.” | Source: Getty Images
Denver Pyle brought decades of Western film and television experience to Uncle Jesse, the Duke family patriarch. Before “The Dukes of Hazzard,” his credits included “The Alamo,” “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” “Bonanza,” and “Gunsmoke.” | Source: Getty Images

Later, Pyle died of lung cancer on December 25, 1997, at age 77, according to the Deseret News. Less than two weeks earlier, he had attended the unveiling of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame despite his declining health.

Pyle appeared in a cowboy hat and dark suit, seated in a wheelchair with supplemental oxygen in place. The late-career image shows a markedly different side of the actor from the rugged screen presence viewers knew from “The Dukes of Hazzard” and his Western roles. | Source: Getty Images
Pyle appeared in a cowboy hat and dark suit, seated in a wheelchair with supplemental oxygen in place. The late-career image shows a markedly different side of the actor from the rugged screen presence viewers knew from “The Dukes of Hazzard” and his Western roles. | Source: Getty Images

James Best as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
James Best continued acting after Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, but teaching became another important part of his later career.

Best taught drama at the University of Mississippi and the University of Central Florida and ran an acting workshop in Hollywood. His students included Gary Busey, Clint Eastwood and Farrah Fawcett, according to IMDb.

He remained active on screen, appearing in the 2007 film “Moondance Alexander.” His final screen role came in the 2013 television movie “The Sweeter Side of Life.” Best also exhibited his paintings and continued making personal appearances as his acting work slowed.