Ben Jones, the actor best known for playing Cooter Davenport in The Dukes of Hazzard, has died aged 84. He suffered a heart attack on Sunday, as announced by his wife Alma Viator.
Wife's tribute
In a Facebook post, Viator wrote: “I lost the love of my life today. Ben passed from a massive heart attack.” Alongside a photo of Jones with their dog, she added: “He was home resting in his [favourite] chair waiting for the Braves to come on and whoop the Yankees. Ben had the most amazing rich full life. He loved and was loved by so many. He will be missed. I loved him so so much.”
Co-star tributes
Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke, paid tribute on Instagram: “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… Denver Pyle frequently said to Ben, ‘I’m not your Uncle Jesse!’ But I feel like we lost a Duke cousin today.”
Career and life
Born in North Carolina and raised in Virginia, Jones discovered acting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After graduating, he appeared in over 100 theatre productions. He landed supporting roles in films like Smokey and the Bandit, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, and They Went That-A-Way & That-A-Way. In 1975, he appeared in The Moonrunners, which inspired The Dukes of Hazzard.
Jones played Cooter, the mechanic sidekick to cousins Bo and Luke Duke, in nearly every episode of the series. After the show ended in 1985, he turned to politics. He lost his first congressional run but won a seat as a Democrat in 1988, serving four years before returning to acting.
In 1998, Jones and his wife opened Cooter's, a Dukes of Hazzard museum in Virginia, and organized reunion festivals for fans. He also wrote political commentary for The Washington Post and The New York Times. He is survived by Viator and his two children, Walker and Rachel Jones.
