James Best

James Best

b. 1926 — d. 2015 (aged 89) Powderly, Kentucky, USA
Actor Director Writer

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), The Cimarron Kid (1952) and The Quick Gun (1964), Raymond Massey in Seven Angry Men (1955), George Montgomery in Last of the Badman (1957), Frank Lovejoy in Cole Younger Gunfighter (1958), and Randolph Scott in Ride Lonesome (1959). He also starred in the science fiction cult movie, The Killer Shrews (1959) and its sequel, Return of the Killer Shrews (2012). He is most known for playing bumbling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in the action/comedy Dukes of Hazzard, a role that he revised in The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! (1997) as his character was now "boss" of Hazzard County as well as sheriff, and again in The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000).

Known For

Filmography

🎬
🎞️
★ 8.9
Earl Hamner Storyteller
2015 Self
The Sweeter Side of Life
🎞️
★ 5.7
The Sweeter Side of Life
2013 Actor
Paddy Kerrigan
Return of the Killer Shrews
🎞️
★ 3.0
Return of the Killer Shrews
2012 Actor Writer
Thorne Sherman
Moondance Alexander
🎞️
★ 6.3
Moondance Alexander
2007 Actor
Buck McClancy
Hot Tamale
🎞️
★ 5.5
Hot Tamale
2006 Actor
Hank Larson
Once Not Far from Home
🎞️
★ 7.5
Once Not Far from Home
2006 Actor
The Doctor
🎬
🎞️
★ 7.0
The CMT Music Awards
2005 Self
🎬
🎞️
★ 10.0
House of Forever
2004 Actor
William Clancy
🎬
🎞️
★ 7.2
TV Road Trip
2002 Self
The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood
🎞️
★ 5.6
The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood
2000 Actor
Rosco P. Coltrane
Death Mask
🎞️
★ 4.6
Death Mask
1998 Actor Writer
Wilbur
🎬
🎞️
Finders Keepers
1998 Actor
John Massey
The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!
🎞️
★ 6.2
The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!
1997 Actor
Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
🎬
🎞️
Raney
1997 Actor
Uncle Nate
The Dukes
📺
★ 5.6
The Dukes
1983 Actor
Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
🎬
🎞️
The CBS Saturday Morning Preview Special
1983 Actor
Sheriff Rosco Coltrane
The Dukes of Hazzard
📺
★ 7.1
The Dukes of Hazzard
1979 Actor Director
Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
Hooper
🎞️
★ 6.4
Hooper
1978 Actor Writer
Cully
Rolling Thunder
🎞️
★ 6.9
Rolling Thunder
1977 Actor
Texan
McLaren's Riders
🎞️
McLaren's Riders
1977 Actor
Lamarr Skinner
Ode to Billy Joe
🎞️
★ 6.6
Ode to Billy Joe
1976 Actor
Dewey Barksdale
The Savage Bees
🎞️
★ 5.1
The Savage Bees
1976 Actor
Pelligrino
The Runaway Barge
🎞️
★ 5.9
The Runaway Barge
1975 Actor
Bingo Washington
Savages
🎞️
★ 6.7
Savages
1974 Actor
Sheriff Bert Hamilton
Sounder
🎞️
★ 7.5
Sounder
1972 Actor
Sheriff Young
The Brain Machine
🎞️
★ 3.1
The Brain Machine
1972 Actor
Rev. Emory Neill
Run, Simon, Run
🎞️
★ 6.2
Run, Simon, Run
1970 Actor
Henry Burroughs
🎬
🎞️
West Texas
1970 Actor
Wilbur
Firecreek
🎞️
★ 6.8
Firecreek
1968 Actor
Drew
First to Fight
🎞️
★ 5.8
First to Fight
1967 Actor
Sgt. Carnavan
Three on a Couch
🎞️
★ 5.8
Three on a Couch
1966 Actor
Dr. Ben Mizer
Black Spurs
🎞️
★ 5.8
Black Spurs
1965 Actor
Sheriff Ralph Elkins
The Quick Gun
🎞️
★ 5.9
The Quick Gun
1964 Actor
Scotty Grant
Shock Corridor
🎞️
★ 7.3
Shock Corridor
1963 Actor
Stuart
Temple Houston
📺
★ 7.8
Temple Houston
1963 Actor
Gotch
Black Gold
🎞️
★ 5.3
Black Gold
1962 Actor
Jericho Larkin
🎬
🎞️
Rio
1961 Actor
Matt Comerford
The Mountain Road
🎞️
★ 6.2
The Mountain Road
1960 Actor
Niergaard
🎬
🎞️
★ 5.4
Aftermath
1960 Actor
Hardy Couter
Ride Lonesome
🎞️
★ 7.1
Ride Lonesome
1959 Actor
Billy John
The Killer Shrews
🎞️
★ 4.2
The Killer Shrews
1959 Actor
Thorne Sherman
Verboten!
🎞️
★ 6.7
Verboten!
1959 Actor
Sgt. David Brent
Cast a Long Shadow
🎞️
★ 6.1
Cast a Long Shadow
1959 Actor
Sam Mullen
The David Niven Show
📺
★ 7.8
The David Niven Show
1959 Actor
Frank Simms
Pony Express
📺
★ 7.5
Pony Express
1959 Actor
Bart Gentry
The Left Handed Gun
🎞️
★ 6.4
The Left Handed Gun
1958 Actor
Tom Folliard
The Naked and the Dead
🎞️
★ 6.4
The Naked and the Dead
1958 Actor
Rhidges
Cole Younger, Gunfighter
🎞️
★ 5.9
Cole Younger, Gunfighter
1958 Actor
Kit Caswell
Hot Summer Night
🎞️
★ 6.1
Hot Summer Night
1957 Actor
Kermit
Last of the Badmen
🎞️
★ 5.5
Last of the Badmen
1957 Actor
Ted Hamilton
Man on the Prowl
🎞️
★ 5.8
Man on the Prowl
1957 Actor
Doug Gerhardt
Gaby
🎞️
★ 6.0
Gaby
1956 Actor
Jim
Calling Homicide
🎞️
★ 6.2
Calling Homicide
1956 Actor
Det. Arnie Arnhoff
Seven Angry Men
🎞️
★ 6.4
Seven Angry Men
1955 Actor
Jason Brown
The Raid
🎞️
★ 6.9
The Raid
1954 Actor
Lt. Robinson
Seminole
🎞️
★ 6.2
Seminole
1953 Actor
Corp. Gerad
🎬
🎞️
McCoy of Abilene
1953 Actor
🎬
🎞️
Skip Taylor
1953 Actor
The Cimarron Kid
🎞️
★ 6.3
The Cimarron Kid
1952 Actor
Bitter Creek Dalton
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
🎞️
★ 6.7
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
1952 Actor
Marvin Johnson
Francis Goes to West Point
🎞️
★ 6.3
Francis Goes to West Point
1952 Actor
Cpl. Ransom
Steel Town
🎞️
★ 6.1
Steel Town
1952 Actor
Joe Rakich
Cavalcade of America
📺
★ 8.0
Cavalcade of America
1952 Actor
Slate Morley
Apache Drums
🎞️
★ 6.5
Apache Drums
1951 Actor
Bert Keon
Air Cadet
🎞️
★ 5.6
Air Cadet
1951 Actor
Jerry Connell
Target Unknown
🎞️
★ 5.9
Target Unknown
1951 Actor
Sgt. Ralph Phelps
Red Ryder
📺
★ 6.9
Red Ryder
1951 Actor
Perry Cochran
Kansas Raiders
🎞️
★ 6.1
Kansas Raiders
1950 Actor
Cole Younger
Comanche Territory
🎞️
★ 5.6
Comanche Territory
1950 Actor
Sam