James Best

James Best

Known for

Acting

Born

July 26, 1926

Birthplace

Powderly, Kentucky, USA

Died

April 6, 2015 (aged 88)

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Best (born Jewel Franklin Guy; July 26, 1926 – April 6, 2015) was an American television, film, character, voice, and stage actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician, whose career spanned seven decades of television. He appeared as a guest on various country music and talk shows.

One of the busiest actors in Hollywood, who began his contract career with Universal Studios in 1949, where he met unfamiliar actors Julie Adams, Piper Laurie, Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson. Best's long career began in films in 1950. He appeared primarily in Westerns, playing opposite Audie Murphy in Kansas Raiders (1950),...

Best known work

Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet
1956
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
1959
Bonanza
Bonanza
1959
Winchester '73
Winchester '73
1950
The Caine Mutiny
The Caine Mutiny
1954
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
1979
Shock Corridor
Shock Corridor
1963
Rolling Thunder
Rolling Thunder
1977
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
1960

Filmography

  1. 2021

    Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists!

    as Self

  2. 2013

  3. 2013

    The Sweeter Side of Life

    as Paddy Kerrigan

  4. 2012

    Return of the Killer Shrews

    as Thorne Sherman, Writer

  5. 2007

  6. 2006

    Hot Tamale

    as Hank Larson

  7. 2005

    CMT: Inside FameTV
  8. 2002

    The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller

    as Sgt. David Brent (archive footage) (uncredited)

  9. 2000

  10. 1997

    The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!

    as Boss / Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane

  11. 1996

  12. 1995

    Death Mask

    as Wilbur Johnson, Writer

  13. 1989

  14. 1988

  15. 1983

    The DukesTV

    as Rosco Coltrane (voice) (20 episodes)

  16. 1980

  17. 1979

    The Dukes of HazzardTV

    as Rosco P. Coltrane (147 episodes), Director

  18. 1978

  19. 1978

    Hooper

    as Cully, Co-Writer

  20. 1978

    The End

    as Pacemaker Patient, Associate Producer

  21. 1977

  22. 1977

    The Savage Bees

    as Pellegrino

  23. 1976

  24. 1976

    Gator

    Production Assistant

  25. 1976

    Ode to Billy Joe

    as Dewey Barksdale

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